


Once at Hogwarts

by Skye_La



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 1970s, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Crossover, F/F, Marauder's Era (Harry Potter), Marauders, Once Upon a Time (TV) References, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2015-01-10
Packaged: 2018-03-03 13:06:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2851781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_La/pseuds/Skye_La
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a row with her over ambitious mother, 6th year prefect Regina is told to stay at Hogwarts for Christmas. For fifth year quidditch captain Emma it's the usual two weeks alone in the castle. They stumble across one another and this Christmas in the castle becomes less lonely for both. Marauders Era crossover.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Conjuration

Snow blanketed the castle and grounds of Hogwarts, carols echoed through the ancient halls though no one knew where from and boughs of holly, ivy and pine trimmed the banisters of the moving staircases. Mistletoe hung in discreet places, much to Filch’s dismay.  
  
Regina checked her appearance in the mirror of her dorm room. Her thick brown hair came down to her chin, and her fringe swept to one side. Since it was the holidays, Christmas Day in fact, she chose a white blouse and black trousers, leaving her uniform, Ravenclaw tie and prefect badge on her trunk. ‘When I am Head Girl next year, will I have to wear my badge at Christmas?’ she thought to herself, throwing her cloak about her shoulders. ‘Maybe I’ll ask Lily when she comes back’ though she doubted Lily had ever spent her Christmas in the castle. She descended the dormitory steps into the bright and airy deserted common room.   
Snow still fell thick and fast on the other side of the long, elegant windows, and the room remained warm despite not having a fireplace.   
  
  
Her steps echoed as she descended the spiral staircase from the Ravenclaw tower. She nodded to the portraits who greeted her as she made her way to The Great Hall.  
  
“Good morning” she said to some younger students sitting together at a table who greeted her back. She had a reputation for being one of the fairer prefects to younger students.  
  
“Good morning Professor” she said, approaching Professor McGonagall.  
  
“Merry Christmas, Regina” she replied. Her brown hair was tied back in a neat bun and she wore her usual robes but with a brooch of fresh holly dusted with snow that didn’t melt in the warm hall.  
  
“What are you going to do with your day?” She asked.  
  
“After breakfast I thought I would walk in the grounds and I am going to work on conjuration after dinner” she replied. McGonagall surveyed her carefully and nodded approval.  
  
“Well, don’t let me keep you from your breakfast Miss Mills. You’ll need it if you’re going out in this!” She gestured to the snow falling from the enchanted ceiling. Regina smiled and took a seat. She opened her bag and pulled out Quidditch Through The Ages by Kenilworthy Whisp. It made a surprising thud on the table and the student opposite her jumped. She looked up.  
  
“Sorry…” she tried to put a name to the face. Long, curly blonde hair, fifth year, plays on the Hufflepuff quidditch team.  
  
“Emma” the girl said “or Swan, if you’re one of those prefects” she said, then went back to her porridge.  
  
“One of those prefects?” Regina bristled. Emma looked up again.  
  
“Yeah” she said “some call you by your last name. Presumably to scare you into doing what they want” she went back to her porridge. Regina poured herself a cup of tea. Emma Swan, Hufflepuff quidditch captain, now she remembered, notoriously quick on her broom and with her words.  
  
“I don’t think I’m one of those prefects” Regina said looking at her breakfast options.  
  
“Because you can’t remember peoples names or…” Emma left her sentence hanging. Regina’s eyes narrowed at her.  
  
“There are a thousand students at this school, Emma” she scolded. Emma held her hands up as she chewed some toast. Regina chose porridge. It was topped with spiced, caramelised apples and nuts. She placed a napkin on her lap and picked up her spoon. Emma sighed. Regina looked up. Emma was not looking at her. Regina peered over. She was sketching something. Probably quidditch plays, she guessed. She went back to her porridge. She opened her book and tucked the bookmark into the back. She took a spoon of porridge and Emma sighed again. Regina paused and lowered her spoon.  
  
“Are you ok?” She asked. Emma looked up.  
  
“Uh yeah. I’m fine. Are you ok?” she asked Regina.  
  
“Yes” Regina said  
  
“That’s good” Emma said and went back to sketching. Regina watched how she pushed her curls behind her ear to keep them out of the way and bit her lip in thought.  
  
“I would have remembered your name if you gave me time” She said. Emma looked up again.  
  
“Ok” she said and went back to her sketch. Regina rolled her eyes and picked up her spoon again.  
  
“How come you’re not captain of the Ravenclaw team?” Emma asked. Regina had almost taken her first mouthful of porridge. She lowered her spoon again. “You obviously like it” Emma motioned to the book “and you’re really good”.  
  
“I don’t have time for it” Regina answered, looking down at her quickly cooling breakfast.  
  
“Do you want to practice later?” Emma asked  
  
“In this weather?” Regina asked, shocked. Emma laughed  
  
“It’s not like we’ll slip in the snow. We could just chase a snitch around”  
  
“I don’t think so” Regina said, imagining the low visibility and cold.  
  
“Fine” Emma said and went back to her sketch. Regina watched her for a moment and attempted her breakfast again.  
  
“Do you like Davey Gudgeon?” Emma asked, looking up. Regina dropped her spoon into her porridge and pushed it away. For some reason, Emma seemed to be bent on preventing her from eating so she stopped trying.  
  
“Davey Gudeon?” She asked.  
  
“Yeah” Emma said. “Beater on the Hufflepuff team, kind of a show off, has a huge crush on you.”  
  
“Really?” Regina asked. Emma waited. “I don’t dislike him” she half-answered.  
  
“But you don’t like him back?” Emma asked “You don’t want to drag him off to the prefect’s bathroom?” Emma elaborated  
  
“No!” Regina said, pretty loudly. Some students further down the table turned to look.  
  
“Ok” Emma said “It’s just that he plays so badly when you play because he’s trying to show off and it makes him, well, rubbish. He’s a solid player though so I don’t want to lose him.” Emma stood up and collected her sketchbook. Regina watched her.  
  
“You’d better eat that before it goes cold” Emma said, pointing to Regina’s porridge. Regina looked at the now congealed bowl then back at Emma who winked. She sighed and finished her tea, watching the tall Hufflepuff captain stride down the hall and out of the door.


	2. Astronomy

Emma sat on a ledge up in the Astronomy tower watching the snow fall over the castle grounds. She had a small parcel of Christmas pudding on her right, a pencil on her left and a notebook balanced on her lap. There were a few candles lit around the tower, but not many. She could hear people cheering somewhere below, the castle doors opened, throwing light into the courtyard below. She watched a snowball fight that escalated quickly and was ended, by the sounds of things, by an angry professor.  
  
Her pencil scratched away on the rough parchment. She could go over again later in ink, but the thinking of a drawing she liked to do in pencil.  
  
Her legs started to ache with the cold. She pushed herself back from the ledge, crossed her legs under her cloak and ate some pudding. She heard the wind whip the castle, howl down the lake, brush through the trees and whistle through the halls. She loved the bigness of it; the huge undeniable power of the wind, the landscape, the force of nature. What she loved second most about magic was the surprise of it. There were some boring things (astronomy for one in her opinion) but some great things. The speed that she flew through the air in quidditch was only possible because of her broom.  
  
She could turn a notebook into an ebony frog ornament and no one would be any the wiser. Sometimes when she turned it back there would be inexplicable details added to it like water or flies, but she still thought it was pretty impressive.  
  
She loved her house, she loved her friends and she loved the magical world. All in all her life was pretty good, but she was still alone for Christmas.  
  
  
After her legs had warmed slightly she thought about going back to her perch when she heard footsteps coming up the tower. It was not a good night for astronomy, so unlikely to be a teacher or student who actually wanted to study. She turned around.  
  
“Ah” Emma said “It’s the prefect”. Regina took the last step up and walked into the room. “Are you going to fine me some house points?”  
  
“I can’t, you’re not in my house…And I don’t think I have to be one at Christmas” Regina said. She pulled her cloak about her tighter and walked over to Emma. Emma held up what appeared to be crinkled paper.  
  
“Pudding?” she asked “to make up for breakfast” she smiled. Regina hesitated, then sat down and took the little package.  
  
“Did you get any porridge in the end?” Emma asked. Regina took a pinch of pudding and shook her head. Emma laughed.  
  
“Sorry” she said, with a mouthful of pudding. Regina smiled as she ate hers. For a while, they both looked out at the snow that danced around the castle. They finished the pudding. Emma crinkled the paper into a ball and found a pocket for it.  
  
“How come you’re here for Christmas, then?” Emma asked. Regina sighed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked”. She looked back out into the night.  
  
“It’s ok” Regina said. “I’m not in my mother’s good books at the moment. This is my punishment” she said. “Although Christmas Day itself is always such a disappointment. I wonder if she actually did me a favour” she smiled sadly. Emma nodded.  
  
“What did you do that was so bad?” Emma asked  
  
“I…” Regina started “I have been a constant embarrassment since the day I was sorted” she said. Emma’s mouth fell open.  
  
“But Ravenclaws are” she looked at Regina and shrugged “no offense, but you love being Ravenclaws”. Regina smiled.  
  
“I do” she leaned back on her hands “and the few hours when I was newly sorted and welcomed into a new family hold some of my fondest memories of life here. The next morning I received a howler from my mother I doubt anyone who heard it will ever forget. I am a disappointment, unambitious, destined for mundanity, a smudge on the family name and I should have done better.” Regina looked up at Emma whose eyebrows looked like they might detatch from her face any moment.  
  
“Wow” Emma said, staring back “For being smart?”  
  
“For not being in Slytherin” Regina replied  
  
“Wow” Emma repeated “that is unbelievable”. Regina nodded.  
  
“What about you?” she asked Emma, hoping to lighten the conversation  
  
“I am here every year. It’s sort of a permanent arrangement. If I can off the quidditch coach I intend to graduate, become the new coach and never leave unless it is to visit Honeydukes”. She smiled. Regina didn’t quite follow, but assumed Emma must not get on with her family.  
  
“Have you ever been to the Ravenclaw common room?” Regina asked after a while.  
  
“Err, no, I don’t know where it is or your password or if there’s a math test to get in” Emma replied. Regina laughed.  
  
“Well there’s no fire, but it’s warmer than here” Regina shivered.  
  
“Ok, let’s go!” Emma said “We’re not going to get into trouble with Flitwick are we?” she asked. Maybe she was a bit concerned about her house points afterall.  
  
“On Christmas Day?” Regina asked, getting to her feet. Emma followed.  
  
“I suppose not” Emma said, following her down the stairs.

The air got warmer as they descended.  
  
“Where is the Ravenclaw common room?” Emma asked as Regina marched down the corridor.  
  
“This way” she motioned “Ravenclaw tower”  
  
“Uh” Emma exhaled “another tower? That was pretty smart. Put it up there where no one can be bothered to try and break in” Regina flashed a smile at her from over her shoulder. When they got to the door, the eagle knocker said:  
  
“Seas without water, forests without trees, deserts without sand, houses without bricks” Regina turned to Emma. Emma frowned.  
  
“This is your password? So nerdy. I don’t know” she folded her arms. Regina laughed and turned to the eagle.  
  
“You’re a map” she said and the door opened “and I think you’re making these easier.” They walked through and the door slammed shut by itself.  
  
“Wow” Emma said as she looked around. The high ceilings and blue drapery were very grand. She saw the library with the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.  
  
“Impressive, right?” Regina said  
  
“No” Emma replied “It’s just that Davey is going to be super jealous when he hears about how you snuck me into your common room on Christmas night” Regina laughed.  
  
“He’d love you to get your Ravenclaws into him!” Emma said, walking around the room. Regina laughed again  
  
“Sadly I have no wish to be Hufflepuffed” she countered. Emma laughed and clapped her hands.  
  
“Well that’s too bad” she replied “I guess I should know better than to duel with a Ravenclaw”. Regina sat down and wondered what she meant.  
  
“Is no one else in your house here for Christmas?” Emma asked.  
  
“Two first years whose parents live very far away, and a boy who chooses to stay” Regina said. She put her legs up on the sofa and watched Emma inspecting. She reached up to look out of a window.  
  
“Wow” she said “sleeping this far off the ground seems odd to me now”  
  
“Where is the Hufflepuff common room?” Regina asked.  
  
“Ah! You’ll have to find that out another time. What are you doing tomorrow?” Emma asked, leaning on the back of the sofa Regina reclined on.  
  
“Well firstly I intend on eating breakfast tomorrow” she said pointedly. Emma smirked. “Then I was hoping to get some Defence practice, but I’m not sure where to go for it”  
  
“What kind of practice?” Emma asked. In a split second Emma’s wand flew out of her pocket and into the air. Regina caught it. “Unspoken spells” she said, holding the wand out to Emma.  
  
“Wow. I don’t think you need any help with that” Emma laughed, taking her wand back.  
  
“Oh ok, well just award me my N.E.W.T. now and then I’ll be free all day” Regina said  
  
“Why don’t I meet you at lunchtime and take you somewhere? You can practice on me as long as I can practice on you?” Regina thought for a moment.  
  
“Ok” she replied  
  
“Great!” Emma said, moving towards the door. “It’s a date, see you tomorrow, prefect” Regina waved and Emma left the common room.


	3. DADA

Regina chose an earlier time for breakfast the next day. The sun was barely up as she made her way down the corridors, fresh with the morning chill and scent of pine from the garlands. She sat at the same bench and thunked her quidditch book on the table, tucked the bookmark into the back and poured herself some tea. She read her book and enjoyed her breakfast, though there was no special porridge today. She stayed in the hall for longer than she usually would, but not long enough to see the Hufflepuff captain.

“Prof” Emma greeted Professor Sprout in the Hufflepuff common room. Pomona Sprout balanced on a chair tending the plants hanging from the ceiling.  
  
“Good morning, Emma” she smiled down at her. “Did you have a nice Christmas?” she asked  
  
“Yeah thanks” She replied, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand “Did you?” she asked as she slid into an oak chair at a table.  
  
“Indeed I did, but duty always calls” she referred to the plants “I don’t suppose you would like to help?” she asked Emma, going back to the plant  
  
“I’m sorry Professor, I don’t think Christmas is a good time to let me loose on them” she said. Professor Sprout’s head appeared on the other side of the hanging plant. She looked at Emma who was now yawning widely.  
  
“No I suppose not” she said, remembering Emma’s previous attempts at growing things “what did you get up to last night to make you so tired?” she asked, and went back to the plant.  
  
“I spent far too long up the Astronomy tower and then broke into the Ravenclaw common room” she replied. Professor Sprout laughed loudly as she climbed off the chair.  
  
“I’m glad you put your holidays to good use” she said “You got into the common room? Particularly impressive, Miss Swan. I don’t know many non-Ravenclaws who can do that” she eyed Emma who avoided looking at her.  
  
“Well I may have had help” Emma replied and the professor laughed.  
  
“You’d better hurry up or you’ll miss breakfast” she said, making her way over to the window plants. Emma trundled back through the round door to her dormitory to get dressed and ready for another day in the castle.

Emma appeared in the Great Hall around 1pm, having spent the morning writing back to friends who had wished her a Merry Christmas the day before. She spotted Regina and made her way over.  
  
“Afternoon, prefect” Emma said from next to Regina. Regina looked up and smiled. Emma sat next to her and started putting food into a napkin. Regina watched.  
  
“I know Hufflepuffs are modest and all, but some people use plates for that” Regina said. Emma looked up after balancing an apple on top of a pile of sandwiches. “We’re not eating here” she said. Regina frowned.  
  
“You can’t take that out of the hall” Regina said. Emma stood up and put the food in her bag.  
  
“Of course I can” she said. Regina remained seated and remained frowning. Emma rolled her eyes “It’s Christmas, prefect, come on!” she said. Regina sighed, drained her pumpkin juice and stood up.  
  
“Fine. But I get the impression you don’t just do this at Christmas” she put her book back in her bag and swung it onto her shoulder. Emma strode out of the hall and Regina followed. On the eighth staircase Regina paused and put her bag down.  
  
“Where are we going?” she asked, trying to catch her breath. Emma turned around and descended to where Regina was.  
  
“You’ll see” she said. She picked up Regina’s surprisingly heavy bag and hopped up the rest of the stairs in no time. Regina huffed and carried on. When they got to the top, they paused on an indistinct corridor.  
  
“Wait here” Emma said. She walked to the end of the corridor and back  
  
“Forget something?” Regina asked. Emma ignored her and walked back down the corridor. Regina looked around her and was drawn to a particularly gruesome tapestry. She was grateful it was all the way up here, out of the way of first years who might have nightmares from it.  
  
“Ok, come here” Emma said. There was a deep rumble, the sound of bricks sliding and a door grew in the wall opposite Emma. Regina’s mouth fell open. She rushed to Emma’s side.  
  
“What is this?” She asked.  
  
“I don’t know” Emma said “The come and go room”. She shrugged and walked to the door. Regina followed her inside. There were mirrors along the wall, large humanoid figures made of wood and leather, there was duelling armour and crash mats and a cupboard full of ointments. Who knew what else? There were also rugs on one side of the room. Emma made her way over to them and unpacked the sandwiches.   
  
Regina followed slowly, looking at all the different aspects of the room. There was a bookcase on one side with volumes she had never seen in the school library or the Ravenclaw one. There were instruments that she had never seen and wanted to look at. Emma leant against the wall with her legs out in front of her eating a sandwich and watching Regina stare in wonder around the room.

“You said I could practice on you” Regina said, now standing in the middle of the room, looking sideways at one of the manikins as if it might move by itself. Emma was still sitting by the wall, now chomping an apple loudly.  
  
“Yeah you can” she said with a mouth full of fruit. “Just not right now”  
  
Regina turned to face the manikin. It rolled towards her in an attack stance. Emma sat up, eyes wide. “Watch ou-“ she shouted  
  
“Reducto” Regina shouted and flicked her wand. The figure burst into dust and slowly fell to the floor. All they could hear was the dust hitting the ground. Emma sat back.  
  
“You’re not doing that one on me” she said and took another bite of her apple. Regina turned to the sound of another manikin coming towards her.  
  
“Diminuendo” she said as she pointed her wand. The figure shrank as it came towards her.  
  
“Aren’t you meant to be practicing things you’re not good at?” Emma asked, helpfully.  
  
“I’m good at everything” Regina responded haughtily. “I’m practicing to be great.” Emma laughed  
  
“Oh man, I think this is going to be fun” she stood up and dusted herself off. She walked to face Regina. She bowed and Regina returned the gesture. Their wands were up. Regina flicked her wand to stun. Emma blocked it with a shield charm. They circled one another. Regina smiled and Emma’s eyes narrowed. Regina was quick and Emma’s reflexes were honed. Regina attacked again and Emma defended, then attacked.  
  
“Calvorio!” she said.  
  
“What!” Regina shouted as she easily blocked it. Emma laughed at the idea of the spell actually hitting Regina and all her hair falling out. Regina waved her wand and Emma stopped laughing, trying to catch her balance. She fell to the floor.  
  
“I win” Regina smirked. Emma, in a pile on the floor flicked her wrist.  
  
“Rictusempra” she said. The spell caught Regina by surprise and she began laughing. She held her ribs and tried her best to remain upright. She collapsed on the floor and howled with laughter. Emma laughed too but it was voluntary. She sat up and tried to shake the wobbly feeling from her legs. Regina rolled on the floor laughing, the sight tickled Emma too and she stopped to laugh some more. She wiped tears from her eyes and lifted her wand.  
  
“Finite incantatum” she said and Regina stopped laughing and breathed out. She lay still where she had come to a stop. Emma crawled over to her. She was out of breath.  
  
“You ok?” she said. Regina smiled.  
  
“Yeah I think so” she said. Emma crawled back over to the rug, not trusting her legs yet. Regina lay on the floor for a couple of minutes then followed when she had her breath and body back under control.  
  
“Did you bring anything to drink?” Regina asked. Emma pulled two bottles of butterbeer from her bag. Regina laughed, surprised but also, not surprised at all.  
  
“It’s Christmas” Emma said, smiling innocently as she uncapped a bottle and passed it to Regina. Regina shrugged acceptance, clinked bottles with Emma and they both drank.


	4. Episkey

“You should know better than to hang around her type, Mills” Avery sneered as he passed her on the way to the Great Hall for dinner. Regina cringed as he spoke to her. All Slytherins seemed to be well aware of what a painful embarrassment she was to her mother, and their entire otherwise well-respected family. She remembered the brunt of Abraxas Malfoy’s disappointment, and how hard that had been on her mother, a classmate of his for a time.

She sat in her usual spot in the hall and pulled out her quidditch book. She knew she could have been the captain of the team, but her mother said it would be rubbing her failures in everybody’s face. The least she could do was be excellent in her studies. Sports were the forte of the talentless, she had told Regina. She opened the book at the very front.  
  
“My Dear Regina, I wish you a Merry Christmas. It breaks my heart not to see you, though it mends it to hear of all your achievements. Enjoy the book. Papa”  
  
She touched the letters, as if that would help her imagine him saying the words. Some Ravenclaw students appeared on the other side of the bench. She closed the book.  
  
“Good evening Charlie” she smiled “Aubrey”  
  
“Hey Regina” Bertram Aubrey replied “what are you reading?” she held up the book  
  
“Nice” he said, “I haven’t read it, but I’d like to.”  
  
“Would you like to borrow it when I’m done?” She asked and he smiled  
  
“Yeah, that would be great” he replied. Charlie laughed and Aubrey dug him in the ribs with an elbow.  
  
“Thanks, Regina” he said and she nodded.  
  
“What’s for dinner tonight then?” Charlie asked, inspecting the plates in front of him. Regina made small talk with them while they ate. She heard Emma’s laugh and turned around. She sat with a young Hufflepuff who looked like he had been crying.  
  
“What’s this?” Emma said pulling a spoon seemingly from his ear. He cackled wildly.  
  
“Oh my gosh” she continued as she pulled a fork from his other ear and a napkin out of his nose. He giggled until he almost fell off the bench. Regina turned back to her table and smiled.  
  
“Look at this” Emma said, pushing her sleeve back to reveal the boy’s watch on her wrist, next to her own. He was stunned. She handed it back and looked over at Regina. She seemed engrossed in conversation with Bertram Aubrey.  
  
Emma finished her food and left the hall alone. As she came though the door Avery shoved her hard into the wall. She stumbled but didn’t fall. Her wand was out in seconds and Avery’s laughs were muffled by the sound of his jumper pulling itself over his head and face with a force that brought him to the floor. His muffled cries filled the corridor. His hand went for his wand and he sprayed green sparks everywhere.  
  
“Jesus! Protego!” Emma shouted as she stepped back into the hall and shielded the attack from the students coming to see what was happening. She put her arm out to stop them walking out of the door and into the burning sparks. By this time Professor McGonagall was at the door.  
  
“You!” she shouted at Avery “put down your wand immediately!” He managed to pull his head out of his jumper, red faced and panting. He stared furiously at Emma whose wand was still up. McGonagall flicked her wand and his flew into the air. She stepped forward to catch it.  
  
“Avery if I see you brandish your wand in such a fashion again I will have so many points from Slytherin house it will go into minus digits. Detention.” She passed back his wand and he growled as he tried to straighten out his now stretched and misshapen jumper.  
  
“Swan” Emma had been smiling at his punishment but dropped it from her face as soon as McGonagall said her name.  
  
“Is there a reason Mr Avery was being attacked by his own clothing?” she peered down. There was now a large group at the door.  
  
“Self defence, Professor” Emma said seriously.  
  
“A poor choice of spell” McGonagall said sharply. “Ten points from Slytherin and Hufflepuff each” She turned on the group.  
  
“Go back to your business” she waved her hands and everyone mostly dispersed for fear of losing house points.  
  
“Miss Swan you can put your wand away” McGonagall sighed  
  
“I’m not so sure, Professor” Emma replied, her eyes still on Avery who had not yet left the scene.  
  
“Both of you go back to your common rooms now, and I will see that Professors Sprout and Slughorn hear of this. Stay out of each others way” She said sharply once more. Avery was first to move as he slunk off to the dungeon, staring daggers at Emma. Only when she was sure he had gone did she put her wand down. McGonagall stayed to ensure she too went to her common room. Emma turned to the professor.  
  
“I’m sorry, Professor” she said “it was a poor choice” McGonagall nodded.  
  
“Off you go now” she said. Emma turned towards the kitchens  
  
“Hey” she heard behind her, she turned quickly, wand in hand.  
  
“Oh, sorry” she said to Regina who had come after her.  
  
“What happened?” she asked  
  
“Oh” Emma said, putting her wand away. “He shoved me into the wall so I pulled his jumper over his head. The idiot started spraying green sparks everywhere. I can’t believe I lost 10 house points for that” Emma shook her head as they made their way down the corridor.  
  
“Are you hurt?” Regina asked  
  
“Not really, my arm is probably fine. Oh, you’re coming to my common room tonight?” Emma asked. Regina smiled  
  
“It’s only fair” she said, putting a lot of emphasis on the last word. Emma laughed. They got to the kitchen door.  
  
“Why are we here?” Regina asked. Emma bent down, tapped the correct barrel and pointed the tunnel that opened up ahead of them.  
  
“Oh” Regina said, looking a bit disappointed. “That doesn’t seem too hard” she stepped in  
  
“Well you’ll get soaked in vinegar if you get it wrong so it’s not without risk” Emma replied following her in. 

The common room was fairly dark, lit by copper lamps hanging from the ceiling. The fireplace was blazing and the sofas looked inviting. There were low book shelves, tables and chairs, high up circular windows, which were ground level and circular doors which led off into a warren of dormitories.  
  
“Wow” Regina said as she entered. “It’s cosy in here”  
  
“Yeah” Emma said “kind of Hobbity”  
  
“Kind of what?” Regina asked.  
  
“Um” Emma said “it’s a muggle thing, don’t worry about it”. Regina nodded and continued to look around.  
  
“I’m gonna go get changed so I can look at my arm” Emma said, making her way to one of the doors.  
  
“Do you want me to come?” Regina asked. Emma raised an eyebrow at her.  
  
“I might be able to help. What?” Regina asked. Emma laughed.  
  
“Fine. Come on then, don’t get lost” Emma said.  
  
Copper bed pans hung on the walls and copper brackets gave light to the circular rooms. The beds were all four-poster with patchwork yellow and black quilts. Around Emma’s nightstand there were pictures she had drawn, photos and some letter from people as well as a small ebony frog. Regina followed Emma to her bed and looked around the room from there.  
  
“Isn’t it like yours?” Emma asked, watching Regina as she took everything in.  
  
“I suppose” Regina said “different colours and it feel less…underground”. Emma pulled her jumper over her head. For a moment she stood with her back to Regina in just jeans and a bra. Regina looked away, not that she could see anything, but she felt awkward. Emma pulled a tshirt on and turned to Regina who almost looked like she was blushing.  
  
“You do share dorms in Ravenclaw, right? You don’t all have like, your own nest?” Emma asked. Regina rolled her eyes.  
  
“Let me see your arm” she said. Emma held it out and could see the bruising already starting to appear. Regina ran her hand down Emma’s sculpted arm and hummed. She took out her wand.  
  
“Episkey” she waved it over the bruises. Emma’s arm got very hot.  
  
“Ow!” Emma tried to jerk it away but Regina held her wrist. After a second the arm cooled and Regina let go. Emma rubbed where it had stung. The bruises were gone.  
  
“Thanks” Emma said.  
  
“Sure” Regina said, turning to leave the dormitory. “Does McGonagall like you because you’re good at transfiguration?” Regina asked  
  
“I’m good at everything” Emma said in a tone that made it clear she was making fun of Regina. Regina grinned.  
  
“Oh Davey Gudgeon is going to hate me” Emma said following Regina out of the room. “Or maybe I’ll skip the last two nights and just tell him you’re with Bertram Aubrey, which makes a lot more sense.” Emma said matter of factly. Regina sat down by the fire.  
  
“I’m not with Aubrey, and anyway” she put on a strict and threatening voice “Boys are trouble, Regina, don’t waste your time, I don’t want to hear about you liking any Ravenclaw boys, they have no ambition, ya ya ya”  
  
“Wow” Emma said “Is that your mum?” Regina nodded. “That’s tough” Emma said. Regina almost asked Emma what her parents were like but something stopped her. She was always here for Christmas. There were no pictures of family by her bed and she hadn’t mentioned any. Maybe she didn’t like the family she had, or didn’t have one at all.  
  
“So have you ever had to turn down someone you like because your mum is…involved?” Emma said.  
  
“That’s a very diplomatic way of putting it.” Regina pulled her knees up and hugged them. “Turned down? No. Just let them pass me by? Sure.”  
  
“What?” Emma sat up from her position on the sofa “Because your mum might find out?” she asked  
  
“Because she might find out, because she’d find a way to ruin it, because it couldn’t last. My type is not…her type” Regina said. Emma wondered what this meant.  
  
“Who have you liked then?” Emma said, directing the conversation down a more interesting and hopefully less depressing route. Regina narrowed her eyes at Emma.  
  
“Why?” Regina asked  
  
“Because it’s interesting!” Emma said. Regina pursed her lips. “Oh come on, I can name 4 people in my year alone who have crushes you. After Lily Evans you’re one of the most popular people in school. Even Emma Vanity likes you and she doesn’t like anyone.” Emma said. Regina looked incredulously at Emma.  
  
“I doubt that many people have crushes on me. I never show an interest in anyone, on purpose!” she said. “And Emma Vanity likes me because I’m not a threat to her because I’m not a Slytherin. If I was, she’d hate me. How do you know who Emma Vanity likes anyway, I didn’t think she’d-“ Regina stopped herself.  
  
“She’d what?” Emma asked  
  
“You know” Regina shifted “You’re muggle-born, right?”  
  
“Oh” Emma said “quidditch. She’s Slytherin captain.” Emma twirled a blonde curl around the end of a finger. They were quiet. After a while Regina got up and sat on Emma’s sofa, at the opposite end. She wiggled until she was comfortable.  
  
“I used to like Aubrey I think” Regina said. Emma turned to look at her. “We were really close once, but his girlfriend didn’t like me and we just…stopped being close” Regina was looking into the fire.  
  
“And now?” Emma asked  
  
“Now I don’t know.” Regina said “I mean I’m half way through sixth year. I won’t be here for much longer and after this I don’t know what will happen.” After a while she asked “who do you like?” Emma smiled.  
  
“Sometimes I think I’m in love with everyone. Someone with really beautiful hands or a great smile or someone who can just turn a phrase. Sometimes I admire people with talent, sometimes people with great humility. I love to watch people do things they love.” Emma said  
  
“You didn’t really answer my question” Regina said, poking Emma with her foot. Emma laughed.  
  
“Davey Gudgeon?” Regina asked.  
  
“What? No” Emma said  
  
“Are you sure?” Regina asked “Because you seem to care a lot about his feelings”  
  
“I do care about his feelings. He’s one of my beaters and he’s a friend.” Emma said. “If you want to know you’ll have to figure it out”  
  
“Ok” Regina said, resting her head on a pillow. They fell asleep in front of the fire and in the night, a passing Hufflepuff threw a blanket over them.


	5. Quidditch

The next week or so went by a lot quicker than either had expected, until it was the Friday before term began again.  
  
"I think I might be able to help you" Aubrey said to Emma. "Are you sure you want me to try? It might do more harm than good" he said.  
  
"Trust me" Emma said "even if it doesn’t work, trying will do more good than harm" Aubrey conceded. Emma left the entrance hall and walked out into the fresh air. The courtyard had been cleared of snow. She swept along it in her boots and Quidditch gear, her broom over her shoulder. Everything was white except the orange sun that peered over the horizon. The light turned the hills and trees an icy shade of orange that contrasted sharply with the blue sky above. The air was cold and crisp and she breathed it in as she made her way through the grounds.  
  
She hung her cloak up in the pitch cabin and stepped out dragging a heavy chest behind her. It was black with yellow markings on the top where different sections of the lid opened separately. Emma opened the snitch's lid and let it fly. She gave it a five second head start, then jumped on her broom and was off after it.

"Good morning, Regina" Aubrey said, as he turned from watching Emma stride across the courtyard to see Regina in the hall heading to breakfast. She greeted him back and he followed her in.  
  
"Would you mind helping me with some potions practice later?" He asked  
  
"Sure" she said. She could probably do with some too since she hadn't taken a potions class in two weeks and term was due to start again in a few days.  
  
"Did you ever take muggle studies?" He asked as she helped herself to eggs and toast. She shook her head. 'Don't even think of taking that wretched boondoggle! What an embarrassment to have it on the curriculum!' Regina's mother's words echoed round her head. At that moment half a dozen owls flew into the top of the hall. Regina looked up, sighed, put her cutlery down and waited for the birds to pass. A letter dropped into her lap and a jolt of fear shot through her. Another howler? She picked up the parchment envelope. It was addressed to:  
  
"Ms Regina Mills, Prefect of Ravenclaw House, Breaker of Rules (but only at Christmas)"  
  
The ice she felt forming in her chest suddenly melted and she smiled. She used a clean knife to slice the letter open.  
  
  
"Dear Prefect,  
  
You are cordially invited to Quidditch practice today, the 3rd day of January at the appointed time of 'whenever you have finished your breakfast'. As you have proven yourself skilled in the area of duelling it is only fair" (‘fair' was underlined) "that you are tested in your opponent's field also.  
  
You need only bring yourself, your broom and your game face.  
  
Sincerely,  
  
Celebrated Captain of the Glorious Hufflepuff Quidditch Team"  
  
  
Regina read the letter twice, then placed it back in the envelope and slid it into her pocket.  
  
"That looked like good news" Aubrey said, looking almost disappointed.  
  
"It wasn't news, just an invitation" she said. "Charlie could you pass me the milk?" He did and she poured a drop into her tea, stirred it and drank. She didn't rush her breakfast, but she also didn't take the usual time over it either.  
  
"I'll see you both later" she said as she took two apples, dropped them into her bag and strode down the hall.  
  
"You've got no chance, mate" a nearby Gryffindor said to Aubrey  
  
"Bugger off, Killian" Aubrey said. Killian smiley wickedly and went back to his conversation.  
  
"He's right" Charlie said "she's never smiled at you like that" his tone was not unkind.  
  
"I know" Aubrey said as he took another bite of toast and watched her leave the hall. 

Regina rushed back up to her room. Changed from trousers into jeans, from a blouse into layers, shoes to boots and pulled her broom out from under her bed. She checked her hair in the mirror and was back out of the door in under 5 minutes. She practically flew down the stairs of the tower. If it hadn’t been completely against the rules (and nearly term time again) she would have hopped on her broom and literally flown all the way.  
  
“God you must have had a lot of porridge this morning” Emma said as she landed, having caught her warm-up snitch and spent the rest of her time sketching at the top of one of the stands.  
  
“I thought I should give you some time to warm up” Regina replied, pulling on her gloves. She hung her bag and cloak in the cabin and walked out onto the pitch.  
  
“Snitch or quaffle?” Emma asked.  
  
“I’ll say snitch, but it’s been a while since I’ve flown” Regina said. Emma took the snitch out again.  
  
“No excuses now. On three?” she said. She threw the snitch upwards into the air and it took off. She counted and they both kicked off from the ground hard.

The morning turned into afternoon and they chased snitch after snitch. Emma was quicker on her broom but Regina was more daring and trusted her instincts, which gave her a split second advantage in tight turns. More than once they flew well above the crowd stands and, if there had been any clouds they would have been in them.  
  
They flew and chased as hard and fast as they could. They laughed and screamed and swore (well, Emma swore). Of course chasing a snitch on an empty pitch without bludgers and beaters swinging at you, flying quaffles or goalies in the way made things easier, but still chasing a snitch is never easy.  
  
They tied 4 all as Regina caught the last one by flying so close to the ground she felt grass on the back of her hands while Emma pulled up before she hit it. Regina did a victory lap of the pitch while Emma clapped and made her way over to the cabin. Regina dropped to the ground beside her. The light was starting to fade.  
  
“Good game” Emma said. She held her right hand out. Regina shook it firmly and smiled brightly. She had never let herself just spend a whole day playing quidditch. They dragged the box back into the kit room and closed the door.  
  
Emma hooked her bag around her broom and sat on it to carry her back up the hill to the castle. Regina look at her, knowing it was not really allowed to fly around the grounds on a broom without a good reason. Emma’s face said she knew what she was thinking and that tiredness is a good enough reason. Regina copied Emma and they flew up to the castle dismounting as they approached the courtyard.  
  
“Well” Emma began “I guess you’re off to the prefect’s bathroom to scrub the grime off? Can I come? I’ve never seen it. What’s it like?” Regina stared back at her, not sure which response she should use of the several that came to mind.  
  
“Ok well if you’re not going can you tell me the password? I can’t remember. I think my mind forgot on purpose when I heard Potter talking about what he wanted to use it for”  
  
Regina stopped on the stairs they had been walking up. She knew Potter was a show off but he was Head Boy now and it made her uncomfortable to hear of his indiscretions, probably because she had to toe the line so precisely to stand a chance at Head Girl, when Potter had decided to grow up in his final year, it seemed.  
  
“I’m going” Regina said eventually.  
  
“Oh good” Emma replied “For a minute you looked like you weren’t going to tell me, and then I’d have walked up all these stairs for no reason.” Regina didn’t laugh, Emma thought she might be tired and not listening. When they got to the bathroom door Regina said  
  
“Frankincense and merpeople” and the door swung open.  
  
“Festive” Emma said, following Regina inside.  
  
On one wall were toilet cubicles; on another were more bath products than Emma had ever seen in one place, including the muggle stores she visited before she came to the school. In the centre of the room there was a bath the size of a small swimming pool surrounded by a hundred golden taps. Regina took off her boots and placed them on a mat by the door. She hung up her bag. Emma’s stomach growled audibly.  
  
“Sorry, I’m hungry” Emma said and blushed.  
  
“Think fast” Regina said as she flung a green apple to Emma, who caught it and smiled.  
  
“Nice!” Emma said, taking a bite as Regina pulled out a red apple for herself. Emma kicked her boots off and left them in a pile by the door. She hung her bag and broom together and made her way over to the taps. Regina sat on a wooden bench and watched her inspect the taps while she finished her apple.  
  
“Can I turn them?” Emma asked. Regina nodded. Emma turned one and sparkly blue liquid that smelled like summer flowers and freshness spilled into the bottom of the deep bath. Emma’s face was a picture. Regina laughed.  
  
“Try the one with the round handle and the yellow stones” she said. Emma found the tap and a stream of white bubbles that smelled of fresh lemons poured out. Emma laughed. From an elegant tap with three green stones poured fresh pine soap. The bath filled quickly and Emma hadn’t tried even half the taps. The water was hot and sort of purplish and sparkling.  
  
“You’d better get in while it’s hot” Regina said. She put two towels on the bench.  
  
“Blue and yellow?” Emma said, Regina smiled and took two black bathrobes from a cupboard. Emma undressed while Regina was folding the robes, Emma suspected somewhat purposefully, giving her privacy. Having seen how deep the pool was, Emma jumped in. She heard Regina cry from under the water. When she came up she saw she had made quite a splash and soaked Regina’s jeans.  
  
“Sorry” Emma said and then bobbed down so only her eyes were above the water. Regina sighed and started unbuttoning them. Emma turned around and pretended to inspect the taps behind her while Regina got in. Emma pulled a tap with a lever handle and a black stone. Thick black stuff poured out slowly. Emma wondered if treacle was a common bath product in wizarding households. She looked at the goop in her hand.  
  
“That’s for your hair” Regina said  
  
“Yeah, maybe if I wanted to look like Severus Snape” Regina laughed  
  
“No seriously. Here” Regina swam over, took half of the stuff from Emma’s hand. She ducked under to wet her head and when she came up, rubbed it into her hair. The bubbles it made were black but they dissolved when they hit the water, leaving no blackness. Regina ducked underwater again. Her hair looked the same colour. Maybe brighter. Emma sighed.  
  
“If my hair is not the same colour when I’ve done this I am coming after you” she said. Regina smiled and watched her do the same with her hair. Emma did seem to have considerably more hair so it took longer, but when she washed the bubbles out her hair seemed brighter than it was before. Emma seemed pleased with the result and decided it was time to try other soap.  
  
“This one smells like fresh sea air” Regina said. Emma pulled the lever of the tap with a long blue stone. A syrupy blue green liquid poured out. Emma caught it in her hand and rubbed it up and down her arms. The lather was the same colour and smelled, like Regina had said, like fresh sea air.  
  
They floated around for a bit, enjoying the quiet of the bathroom, warmth of the water and the smells each tap produced until Emma decided she was clean enough and got out. She dried off, put her bathrobe on and wrapped her hair in the yellow towel.  
  
“Thanks for being around this Christmas” Regina said out of the blue “It would have been a lot harder without you”  
  
“Likewise” Emma replied. Her stomach lurched again loudly. Regina laughed  
  
“I guess we’d better go get some food” she said, and made her way out of the still steaming bath.


	6. Charms

The last weekend of the winter holiday flew by in a mess of friends reunited, owls returning things left behind and bustle of corridors being busier than they had in weeks. Emma was busy hearing all about her friends’ Christmases and Regina had her prefect duties to get back to.

The next time they saw each other was in Professor Flitwick’s combined fifth and sixth year Charms class.  
  
“All of you are getting to know each other’s techniques a bit too well. This week to keep you all on your toes we will have combined charms classes” he announced to the two clearly divided groups. Some of the sixth years looked pretty pleased with themselves. 

Flitwick drew names out of hats. Davey Gudeon gave a pretty good effort against Killian Jones but ultimately lost when he was drenched in water and disarmed. Dirk Cresswell and Severus Snape’s duel lasted seconds and ended with Dirk crashing into a bookcase, his wand in Severus’ hand.   
  
Regina was drawn against Emma Vanity and won with a leg lock curse and disarmament. Emma cheered for Regina and caught a blazing glare from Vanity. Emma’s name was called and she hopped onto the platform, keen to have some fun.   
  
Avery was drawn as her partner and she grimaced. She had to be on guard out of lessons, now he was going to attack her in them too? His bow was so insultingly shallow that she barely tipped her head in response. He attacked, jabbing with curse after curse. She defended and blocked and counter cursed but nothing hit him. His attack was furious.   
  
Finally she stumbled back, caught in the ribs by a searing spark during a particularly ferocious attack. Some students gasped. His mistake was turning to gloat with his friends. When he turned back to Emma a full body bind hit him square in the chest. He froze on the spot, his face a grotesque statue of surprise. She disarmed him and used his own wand to encase his head in a pumpkin.  
  
The class burst into laughter, all but the Slytherins. Killian Jones was practically on the floor laughing.  
  
“That’s enough, Swan” Flitwick said, suppressing a smile “Don’t kick a man who’s down”. Flitwick removed the pumpkin and body bind and told Avery to sit to one side to recuperate. Emma, having climbed down from the platform already rolled his wand across the floor of it to him.   
  
She still held her wand and he scowled at her as he picked his up. Regina had made her way to Emma’s side to see if she was burnt from the spark, but caught the force of Avery’s glare and stood in front of Emma, facing him. He eventually turned and slunk off the platform but Emma kept an eye on him.  
  
“Are you hurt?” Regina asked, turning to face Emma.  
  
“No…ow!” Emma exclaimed. They moved away from those gathered around the platform. Regina could see the burn had gone straight through Emma’s uniform and seared her rib.  
  
“I’ll get something for it from Madam Pomfrey” Emma said, wanting Regina to stop fussing over her. Regina frowned at her. Emma winced as she put her arm down. Regina turned to see who Aubrey was duelling. She turned back to Emma.  
  
“Why is Emma Vanity staring at you like that?” She asked. Emma peeked over her shoulder and smiled at Vanity who stared pointedly for a moment longer, then went back to watching the duel, arms crossed.  
  
“She’s actually staring at you, love” Emma said. Regina turned back to look at Vanity who was now engrossed in the duel.  
  
“Why?” Regina demanded. Emma smiled.  
  
“You know when you asked me how I know who Emma Vanity likes?” Emma asked. Regina raised an eyebrow. Emma didn’t say anything. Regina frowned, then her expression softened and realisation spread across her face. Emma smiled.  
  
“Yep” she said, looking away  
  
“No” Regina said  
  
“Yeah” Emma said looking back at Regina. “Not anymore, but for” she thought back “well for a while”  
  
“She has a boyfriend!” Regina whispered  
  
“Yeah she does now” Emma said and scratched her head. There was a loud bang and Aubrey hit the floor.  
  
“Ooh” Emma said. She and Regina went over to the platform. His opponent offered his hand to lift him up. Aubrey took it.  
  
“Fair play, Black” he said shaking hands. Black cackled and patted Aubrey’s back as the descended the platform.

The class ended.  
  
“Are you ok?” Emma asked Regina as the class poured out into the third floor corridor. Regina nodded, though she looked flushed.  
  
“What class do you have now?” Emma asked  
  
“Potions” Regina answered  
  
“I’m heading downstairs too” Emma said. They walked together in the crush of students, though not really talking. They got to the ground floor where they would go separate ways.  
  
“Ok. Good chat” Emma said. Regina held her textbooks across her chest.  
  
“I wish you’d told me about Emma Vanity” Regina said  
  
“Why?” Emma asked, watching the rest of Regina’s class head towards the dungeons. Regina shrugged.  
  
“Because I asked” she said.  
  
“Well, you asked who I liked. I don’t like her…anymore” Emma said  
  
“Ok” Regina said, she turned to leave  
  
“Regina” Emma said. She turned to face Emma again.  
  
“I’m sorry for not confiding in you when you did in me” she said. Regina made a small smile.  
  
“I have to go or I’ll be late” Regina turned and left. Emma watched her go down the steps until she was gone from view. She sighed and turned to go back up the stairs.

Emma didn’t see Regina again at all for a few days. She was on her way out of the Great Hall when she heard her name.  
  
“Hey Emma” she turned around. Lily Evans stood behind her. Lily had to be the most universally liked student in the whole of Hogwarts. She did well in class, she liked to help people, she was kind to everyone and she was absolutely beautiful.  
  
“Hey, Head Girl” Emma said, Lily laughed  
  
“How was your Christmas?” she asked  
  
“Surprisingly good this year” Emma replied “The castle was really castley. Yours?”  
  
“Very dramatic, Petunia’s fiancé tried to show off to James and it all got a bit out of hand” Lily said.  
  
“Oh dear. Poor chap thought he could out-brag James?” Emma said. Lily hummed agreement.  
  
“Listen Aubrey told me what you’d asked him about and I wanted to let you know that if he doesn’t manage to do what you wanted I might be able to help”  
  
“Really?” Emma looked surprised  
  
“Yeah really” Lily smiled. Emma hugged her  
  
“That would be…” she trailed off. Lily laughed again.  
  
“It’s really nothing, Emma. Let me know how you get on” Lily said as she left. Emma beamed after her.  
  
When she turned she saw Aubrey who had just stood up to leave too. She went over to him.  
  
“Hey, how are you getting on?” she asked excitedly “I just spoke to Lily Evans”  
  
“Yeah she gave me some good tips, I might have something for you in a few days” he replied.  
  
“Yes!” Emma said and play punched him in the arm “I knew you were the one for the job”.  
  
“Hey listen” he said “Do you know who Regina is seeing?” the question stopped Emma’s playfulness in its tracks.  
  
“I don’t think she’s seeing anyone” she replied honestly.  
  
“It’s just she got this letter the other day and then she blew off study practice with me and now she seems kind of…” Emma watched him struggle for a word  
  
“Off?” Emma suggested  
  
“Sure” he said  
  
“I’m sorry, I really don’t think she’s with anyone. Don’t you have a girlfriend?” Emma asked, remembering that small detail in Regina’s story.  
  
“Not since November actually” he said  
  
“Wow. Two whole months” Emma said  
  
“Yeah well, it was a mutual thing” he said  
  
“Sorry” she said “Do you need to hug it out?” he did hug her and she laughed, knowing full well he did not need one.  
  
“Have you been on the butterbeer tonight, Swan?” He asked. She smiled  
  
“Me? No. It was fire whiskey” She joked. “I’m going” she said and turned to leave the hall. As she did she saw Regina at the door. She smiled at her but Regina didn’t return it. She looked from Aubrey to Emma and seemed hurt. Emma sped up walking but people kept getting in her way. Regina was gone and she rushed to get to the door. 

The Entrance Hall was quite empty considering the mess of people in the Great Hall. Emma called Regina’s name but there was no answer. She thought where she might go. Her best bet, she thought was either the common room or the astronomy tower, since she could actually get into the astronomy tower she headed there. Sure enough, she found Regina standing by the window. Emma was out of breath from running up the stairs. Regina didn’t turn round.  
  
“What’s up?” Emma asked, panting “how come you didn’t wait for me?”  
  
“Sometimes I think everyone in this castle does as they damn well please, but me” Regina said. Emma walked over to the window but didn’t speak.  
  
“Why were you hugging Aubrey?” she asked  
  
“I was joking around” Emma said  
  
“Do you like him?” Regina asked  
  
“No, he likes you” Emma replied  
  
“Emma Vanity?” Regina asked  
  
“Oh my god” Emma said “Do you like her? Is that what this is about? It was nothing. It was fun. She’s possessive and weird but nothing is happening. If you’re in love with Emma Vanity please be my guest to go and tell her”  
  
“Don’t be ridiculous” Regina said sharply  
  
“It’s not ridiculous” Emma said  
  
“Sleeping with someone with her…politics is ridiculous” Regina said carefully, though Emma received the message loud and clear. The Vanity Family was old and very concerned with blood status and Emma was a plucked from obscurity muggleborn.  
  
“You know what is ridiculous?” Emma said, stung by Regina’s meaning if not her words “Letting someone you hardly ever see control your life” she snapped. Regina glared at her  
  
“You don’t know anything” Regina said  
  
“I know enough” Emma said  
  
“What would you have me do? Make my way through each of the quidditch teams? Or just the captains? And who should I start with?” Regina asked  
  
“Commit a small act of rebellion against your mother” Emma said “Play quidditch more than once a week. Stop feeling guilty about being a Ravenclaw. Here is a good one: Kiss someone you like. Maybe start with that one, it might help loosen you up for the rest” Emma said carelessly. Regina turned to her. She stepped so close to Emma that she stepped back into the wall and still her nose touched Emma’s. Emma stopped breathing.  
  
“If I kissed the one I liked, my mother would ruin their life” she said in a low, threatening tone.  
  
“Do you think you should let them decide?” Emma asked quietly, their faces inches apart.  
  
“Have you ever asked an apple if you can eat it?” Regina turned and swept out of the astronomy tower.


	7. Care of magical creatures

Weeks went by and Emma hardly saw Regina. She was studying hard for her O.W.Ls and had even started a study group with some other students.  
  
“It’s the easiest thing in the world” Ruby Lucas said as she and Emma made their way to the care of magical creatures grounds.  
  
“I thought you’d get on with Kettleburn” Ruby said, holding a gate open for Emma  
  
“Why, because we’re Hufflepuffs?” Emma asked  
  
“Well, that and you both have sort of an air about you” Ruby said, closing the gate behind Emma who laughed.  
  
“Well, I don’t start the fights I get in and I don’t intend to lose any limbs today” she said  
  
“Excellent” Ruby said.  
  
They made their way to the daisy patch, where knarls could always be found.  
  
“How are things going with you and Remus?” Emma asked  
  
“Things are good” Ruby smiled widely. Emma had known the seventh year Gryffindors for her whole career at Hogwarts. When she started she had noticed Ruby was unwell and unhappy and decided to be her friend. Things had greatly improved when Ruby and Remus started seeing each other in their fifth year. Ruby had even proven she could hold her own with James Potter and Sirius Black, which was no mean feat.

After spending a while discussing the difference between knarls and hedgehogs and how to treat a sick unicorn, they walked among the trees talking and trying to find a bowtruckle.  
  
“I take it you’re not seeing Vanity anymore?” Ruby asked. Emma shook her head  
  
“She started seeing what’s-his-face” Emma said, genuinely struggling to remember the name of Vanity’s boyfriend. Ruby nodded.  
  
“So are you seeing anyone? Killian Jones likes you” Ruby said, outing her fellow Gryffindor. Emma smiled.  
  
“I like him too, but not like that” she said.  
  
“I also heard a rumour about you and a certain Ravenclaw in the prefect’s bathroom” Ruby said, raising an eyebrow. Emma blushed.  
  
“We spent the morning chasing a snitch so we needed to clean up” Emma said  
  
“Please tell me that is not a euphemism” Ruby laughed. Emma play jabbed her with an elbow.  
  
“Seriously, we just had a wash.” Emma said as she was showered with wood splinters. She used a confundus charm and the bowtruckle fell from the tree. She caught it and smiled at Ruby.  
  
“Ta da!” she smiled.  
  
“Come on, we should go back. Do you want to help me with defensive spells later?” Ruby asked  
  
“Sure thing” Emma replied as they made their way up the hill again. When they reached the entrance to the castle Emma saw Regina, Aubrey, Charlie and another Ravenclaw she didn’t know studying outside.  
  
“Hey you’ve still got some stuff in your hair” Ruby said. Emma stopped walking and let her pick out the bits of wood from the bowtruckle. Emma wasn’t looking but she could feel Regina’s eyes on her.  
  
“So. Nothing happened in that bathroom, did it?” Ruby said quietly once she had finished. They carried on to the castle. Emma waved hello to the group, Regina didn’t look up from her book.  
  
“No” Emma said  
  
“Ok” Ruby replied. Emma smiled and rolled her eyes.

“You are very good at defensive spells” Ruby said. They stood in an unused classroom. Emma had rolled up her shirtsleeves and Ruby had taken her tie off.  
  
“Instead of using your energy to attack, picture it pouring out of you and forming a shield. That’s what I do. Except I sort of feel it, not imagine it” Emma said. “You ready?” Ruby nodded. A bolt of white-yellow flew from Emma’s wand. Ruby slashed her wand down and jumped back. The bolt fizzled and missed her.  
  
“Don’t be so scared of it. Trust that your shield is strong enough to defend you” Emma said. She waited for Ruby to return to her defensive position before she tried again. Emma attacked and Ruby slashed the air again with her defensive spell. She planted her feet and this time the bolt crackled against the shield and shattered.  
  
“Woah” Ruby said and she laughed. Emma clapped.  
  
They practised a while longer until it was time for dinner and they made their way to the Great Hall. Ruby noticed Regina before Emma did. She turned to her friend.  
  
“Oh hey you still have stuff in your hair” she went to get the none existent stuff. Emma laughed and pushed her hand away.  
  
“See you later” she said. Each headed off to their own house table. Ruby sat down next to Remus and kissed him on the cheek before helping herself to a particularly rare steak.

Half term approached and with it, the next game in the Hogwarts quidditch tournament Ravenclaw versus Slytherin. Hufflepuff set aside their rivalry for this game to support Ravenclaw and on match day the stands were full and awash with blue and silver.  
  
The game was lively, Ravenclaws being naturally competitive and Slytherins naturally cunning. The seekers flew wildly around the pitch, ducking and diving around players and bludgers.   
  
After a particularly impressive run with the quaffle, Ravenclaw captain Ignatia Clearwater passed to Regina who timed her strike perfectly and knocked the ball through the left goal hoop before Avery could reach it. The crowd roared. Regina turned to look for Ignatia when a bludger hit by Emma Vanity after the goal caught her with force in the shoulder. Regina was flung back, lost her broom and plummeted to the ground. Hooch cast a protective spell, which slowed her descent but she still hit the ground hard.   
  
The crowd fell silent. Before Madam Hooch could reach her she stumbled to her feet. She called her broom and ran back out across the pitch. Her broom rushed up beside her and she leapt onto it. The crowd cheered and she headed straight for Emma Vanity who had remained in her attacking position. Vanity, unable to run for pride simply held her beater’s bat and braced for impact.   
  
Both side’s players rushed to stop the interaction and Ignatia managed to get hold of Regina before she reached Vanity.  
  
“It’s not worth it, Regina” she said, her arm on Regina’s shoulder, preventing her from moving forwards. Regina looked at her, fire burning in her eyes. Ignatia held her gaze.  
  
“Beat them on the pitch but, not literally, ok?” She smiled. Regina nodded.  
  
“Are you ok?” she asked as Regina rolled her hit shoulder.  
  
“Where’s your mudblood to protect you now?” a Slytherin player shouted which reignited the fight between the two sides.  
  
“Quan Chang, catch that bloody snitch!” Ignatia shouted at the Ravenclaw seeker. He sped upwards to a better viewing position. Madam Hooch broke up the fight and sent everyone back to starting positions. She took 5 points from Slytherin for poor form and threw the quaffle into the air.   
  
20 minutes later the scores was tied. Quan was on the trail of the snitch, closely followed by the Slytherin seeker, who had more than a few tricks up his sleeve. Quan caught the snitch, narrowly missing a Slytherin bludger to his broom, it hit his opponent instead and sent him spinning across the grass. Fortunately they had been pretty close to the ground, so he didn’t stop to check he was ok. He flew up to Regina.  
  
“You ok?” he asked. Her shoulder now throbbed under her kit and she was relieved the game was over so she could head up to the hospital wing.  
  
“Chang, you did it!” she said in response, putting her good arm around him. He smiled and held up the snitch as the crowd cheered. 

“I am fine, go to the party, I’ll see you later!” Regina said to Ignatia who insisted on escorting her to the hospital wing. Ignatia conceded and ran off to join the rest of her house in a raucous party in the common room.  
  
Regina pushed the door to the hospital wing open with a groan. Madam Pomfrey came over to see what the trouble was.  
  
“I always expect someone after a quidditch match” she scolded no one in particular. Behind a screen Regina pulled her quidditch shirt off with difficulty. Madam Pomfrey frowned. An area the size of, well, a bludger was angry red, purple and black.  
  
“Ok” she said  
  
“Put a gown on and go to bed three please. I’ll be over in a moment”. Regina did as she was told. Not sure where to put her things she folded them and put them on the end of her bed. Professor Flitwick (who was not an enormous fan of quidditch) and Professor McGonagall (who was) came to visit her after a while. They both congratulated her on her win and commended her efforts to stay in the game even when she had sustained an excusable injury.   
  
Madam Pomfrey insisted Regina spend the night here after applying a few drops of stinging ointment and cast a few spells to reduce swelling and the spread of the bruising. By the early evening Regina was bored. A few people had come in and out, a boy who needed his eyebrows reattaching and a girl who had attempted to change the colour of her clothes, but instead turned herself blue. They entertained Regina for a while, but not for long.  
  
She was falling asleep when she heard the door to the wing open, and hushed voices. Emma appeared with a lantern in the going-dark ward.  
  
“Hey prefect” she said, standing at the end of the bed.  
  
“Hey” Regina said quietly  
  
“May I?” Emma asked holding the lamp up.  
  
“Sure” Regina said. Emma put the lamp on the nightstand and sat in a chair by Regina.  
  
“How’s your shoulder?” Emma asked. Regina wriggled her arm out of her gown and showed Emma.  
  
“Ouch!” she said “I’m sorry, this is my fault” she said, leaning closer to see the depth of the bruise.  
  
“No it’s not. And this is better than it was” Regina said. “At least I have a proper reason to hate Vanity now”  
  
“I brought you something” Emma said after a pause. She pulled a crinkly packet out of her bag and passed it to Regina  
  
“You gave me wood?” Regina asked and Emma suppressed the laugh that tried to force its way out of her.  
  
“It’s bark” Emma said  
  
“Oh well that makes sense” Regina said sarcastically. Emma took a pinch and ate it. Regina did the same and smiled.  
  
“Chocolate?” she asked with her mouth full.  
  
“And peppermint” Emma said. I brought you this too. Emma pulled a library copy of Quidditch Through The Ages from her bag and put it on the bed. Regina swallowed. She put her hand on top of Emma’s, which was still holding the book.  
  
“Thank you” she said. Emma smiled back at her. She kept Regina company until Madam Pomfrey kicked her out, to her disappointment but her growling stomach’s relief.


	8. Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina's mother reminds her who is boss and Emma and Killian get into trouble.

Regina’s shoulder was on the mend by the start of half term. Her mother had summoned her home and though she left Emma with considerably more friends than she had had over Christmas, Emma was still lonely without her.

She filled her time with a healthy combination of study and getting into trouble. A lot fewer students went home for the Spring half term because exams were coming up, and for many students it was a long way to travel for a short break.

One morning at breakfast, Killian Jones appeared at her side.  
  
“Captain Swan” he said  
  
“Aye, me hearty” she said, glad to have someone around to find her muggle references amusing. He grinned.  
  
“Listen. I’ve procured some muggle entertainments. Party favours if you will” He said under his breath. Emma raised an eyebrow at him  
  
“I need a companion to help me…collect” He said.  
  
“Killian, what are you collecting? If it can get me expelled, I’m not helping” she said, buttering her toast.  
  
“It won’t, just do me a solid and I’ll make sure you’re well compensated” He smiled

The sun had set over Hogwarts. Killian and Emma made their way out of the castle and close to Hagrid’s hut.  
  
“Bloody hell it’s cold” he said, rubbing his hands together as he left her to go further down the path.  
  
Emma stayed back, wanting plausible deniability if they were to get caught. She had heard veritaserum had been used on students in very serious situations and she was, for all intents and purposes, keeping her nose clean. After a short while Killian bobbed up the path again with a big bag, looking very pleased with himself. He gave a small leather pouch to Emma.  
  
“This is my baccy. If I get caught I’ll take the whole rap but I at least need this to get through” Emma took it, doubting very much that it was just tobacco. She hid it in her robes and they headed up the path. When they got to the top Emma turned to survey the landscape bathed in moonlight. 

“Want me to take you down to the pumpkin patch?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrow. She gave him the biggest side-eye she could muster  
  
“You’re not getting into any forbidden forests tonight, my friend” she replied.  
  
They saw a streak of something down below. It looked like a stag. It was moving so quickly they hardly saw it.  
  
“Woah” Emma said. They both watched for a moment. A huge black creature came pelting out of the same bushes on the trail of the deer.  
  
“Is it a grim?” Killian asked, thinking back to his previous divination class.  
  
“Get a grip, it’s a dog. I thought you were supposed to be brave” Emma said  
  
“Bravery does not preclude fear, you’re thinking of stupidity” He said, his feelings somewhat hurt.  
  
Suddenly what looked like two huge werewolves burst from the same bushes on the trail of the dog and the deer. They both froze.  
  
“Ok lets go back to the castle now” Emma said turning to run up the path  
  
“Right behind you, love” Killian said as they legged it to the hall.

“Out for a midnight stroll, were we?” A familiar voice said as they re-entered the castle. They turned to see Professor McGonagall on the stairs of the entrance hall.  
  
“Well, we were thinking about it, Professor and then remembered that it’s against the rules, so we didn’t go.” Killian tried his best.  
  
“I’m sure” McGonagall said, making her way over to them. “Why ever would you need such a big bag for that?” she said.  
  
“Provisions” he replied, his story’s credibility deteriorating by the second.  
  
“Very wise indeed” she said. “If you wouldn’t mind following me to my office, both of you” she turned and swept down the corridor.

“I went to get these from Hagrid. It’s hard for the students who live in the muggle world out of term” McGonagall opened the bag and pulled out a bundle of 7” vinyl. Emma’s mouth fell open. McGonagall seemed more amused than anything. Emma was surprised and impressed she even knew what they were. She put the vinyl back in the bag and threatened them both with detention if they were caught outside after hours again and reminded them it was for their safety, not just to ruin their fun.  
  
“I heard about your duel with Avery, Swan” she said leading them both out of her office.  
  
“I learnt from what you told me, Professor” she said smiling “stun before fun”. McGonagall suppressed a smile and bade them both goodnight. 

“You absolute tosspot” Emma said as soon as McGonagall was out of earshot. She shoved the leather pouch into his chest.  
  
“Whatever this is, I don’t want to be involved” she said, angrily  
  
“Fine” he replied “more for me, but if you want to listen to these records we need to find a room. Let me know” he said. He turned to head off to the Gryffindor common room.  
  
Emma sighed and turned down the stairs for her own common room. She felt alone again. She wondered how Aubrey was getting on with the task she set him.

_________________________________

Mills House

Regina spent the morning socialising with her mother and her friends. She sat up straight, always refused the food on offer and spoke only when spoken to. She had mastered the art of looking politely interested in subjects that she really found desperately boring or even bordering on offensive. When she was spoken to and she didn’t just have to listen to idle gossip about various wizarding families, she spoke about her schoolwork, never about Ravenclaw, never about quidditch and only ever discussed her friends in Slytherin house. 

“I heard about your attack on Emma Vanity, what were you thinking?” Cora asked when they returned to the house after an exhausting morning. They sat in the library awaiting refreshments and Regina sat in the same stiff position she had been in all morning. She was shaky from not eating and drinking too much tea (‘always have two cups, it’s polite’ Cora had drummed into her).  
  
“It was…an error on my part, Mama” she replied, knowing better than to defend herself. Even in her own home, her mother’s loyalty was not to her as she was constantly reminded.  
  
“That’s an understatement. You have enough trouble making friends with the right people in your position” Cora sneered, another crack at her house status.  
  
“Yes, Mama” she said  
  
“Can’t you think of anything better to say? You sound like a parrot” Cora said  
  
“Sorry, Mama” Regina said “It won’t happen again”  
  
“Good” Cora said “I’ve heard some disturbing things about what is happening at that school, but only rumours where you are concerned. You must do something to put them to bed. Stop leading that boy Aubrey on. The Aubreys are nice people but you are still too good for him. If he was pureblood maybe” Cora said.  
  
“Ok, Mama” Regina said, unsure of what she was supposed to be responding to.  
  
“Maybe you should be courting” Cora thought aloud “It would certainly settle the things I’ve heard which are” she chuckled to herself “too ridiculous to contemplate. It’s such a shame Lucius and Narcissa married recently, that would have been a very beneficial match”. She turned back to Regina as if just remembering she was there.  
  
“What about Avery’s son?” Cora asked. Regina started in her seat.  
  
“No! He’s-“  
  
“He’s what?” Cora cut her off sharply. Regina dropped her eyes to her hands in her lap  
  
“I’ve told you time and time again not to speak that way about our people” Cora snarled. ‘Your people’ Regina thought.  
  
“What did you say?” Cora demanded.  
  
“I didn’t say anything, Mama” Regina said, her eyes still down. There was a searing silence while Cora’s eyes bored into Regina. A house elf appeared with a tray of sandwiches and something sparkling that looked refreshing. Cora waited until the elf had left the room.  
  
“Find a Slytherin boy. I don’t want to hear another whisper about you befriending a filthy mudblood. And make up with Emma Vanity. Now get out. I will see you at dinner and not a moment sooner” her mother banished her to her room.

Regina closed the heavy mahogany door quietly behind her. Anywhere else she would cast a sound blocking spell, but they did not work in this house. She walked slowly over to her bed and lay down. Her stomach growled and she thought of Emma’s embarrassed face when her stomach had rumbled in the prefect’s bathroom. She buried her face in her pillow and cried as quietly as she could.

_________________________________

Hogwarts

Regina was sent back to Hogwarts the next day. Her mother had left before she got up and her father was not due to return until that evening. Cora had managed to make sure he would not be at home at all while Regina was there. By the time she reached the school it was late and she was tired. She made her way to her dormitory, being polite to the people who greeted her, but unable to summon much more than that.

The next day was Saturday. Regina didn’t go for breakfast. She lay in bed pretending to sleep until all the girls in her dorm had left. Then she lay staring at the prefect badge on her nightstand. The door suddenly opened. It was a third year.  
  
“Regina? There’s a fight in the common room!” she said, worried. Regina pulled her bathrobe over her pyjamas and swept downstairs.  
  
“What is going on?” she demanded as she entered. Two forth year boys were having a scrap and had knocked over a chair in the process.  
  
“It was-“ one of them started  
  
“I don’t care what it was, stop it!” Regina snapped. The room was silent. “I’ll have house points off you if you don’t leave each other alone. Amery, go and wash your face. Dash, take a walk” they stared at her for a moment and exchanged a glance, shocked out of their annoyance at each other by her abrupt and unusual manner. They did as they were told. Aubrey and Flitwick walked into the room from the library but were unnoticed. Aubrey picked the chair up and stared at her too. Flitwick motioned to him to go with Regina as she turned to leave.  
  
“What’s blue on the outside but green on the inside?” someone jeered at her.  
  
“A peppermint pixie, of course” Flitwick said, “back to your business” he added, dispersing the crowd that had gathered.

“What?” Regina asked Aubrey as he followed her up the stairs.  
  
“I came to see if you’re ok. Will you stop a moment?” He asked. She turned quickly and almost snapped at him too, but she stopped herself when she saw his face. He was charming and there was nothing malicious in him.  
  
“Rough visit home?” He asked, guessing correctly.  
  
“Same as always, just a long journey” Regina said. He nodded, knowing it wasn’t the whole story.  
  
“Look I’ve got something to give Emma later if you want to come? She usually cheers you up.” He said  
  
“Do I usually need cheering up?” Regina asked  
  
“Well, lately, yeah” he replied honestly. They stood looking at each other for a moment.  
  
“Ok” she said eventually  
  
“Cool!” he said “I mean great.” His ears went a bit pink “Meet me downstairs when you want to get lunch and we’ll go after?” he asked. She smiled at him. Her first genuine smile in a week and it felt good. He smiled back and left her.

Aubrey found Emma and gave her something wrapped in a small cloth bag. She jumped up and hugged him.  
  
“You brilliant man!” she said, squeezing the air out of him. He laughed. She saw Regina standing behind him. When she let him go he turned to say Regina was with him.  
  
“Hey” Emma said with a big smile. Aubrey got talking to someone else and Emma and Regina left the hall together. They found somewhere quiet to sit outside where they could catch up without too many people around to overhear. The February weather was still bitterly cold.

“Things are getting scary out there” Regina said, meaning wizarding life outside the castle, a world Emma hardly knew at all. The students were pretty well protected from the war that raged outside their walls, but the Prophet reported new terrors every day and a lot of the students were scared.  
  
“People are angry and talking openly about…” she trailed off “the things I heard” she gulped. “People are going missing and-“ she stopped herself. Emma put an arm around her. Regina wanted to curl up and hide in Emma’s arms but she stayed sitting next to her.  
  
“Muggleborns are disappearing. Families they call blood traitors. The same names keep coming up, I think they’re deatheaters” Regina whispered. “My mother wants to marry me off to someone quickly before-“ someone walked past a few metres away and she watched them.  
  
“She heard a rumour about you” she said, looking at the ground.  
  
“What about me? I think I’ll live” Emma said. Regina looked up at her words  
  
“About you and me” she said.  
  
“Oh” Emma said.  
  
“She’s everywhere. I can’t get away from her”  
  
“Wait, she wants you to marry someone? You’re 17!” Emma said, only just realising what was said. Regina nodded. Emma couldn’t accept what Regina had just said. She couldn’t really conceptualise the meaning of her words and her fear.  
  
The War had been going since before Emma knew anything about magic. She struggled to put it into the context of their world. She couldn’t find words for this. She couldn’t think of anything that could help Regina or make her pain any less real. She did however know something that could distract her.

__________________

1977 

“Oi, bootleg” Emma called to Killian as he left the Great Hall after dinner “I’m calling in that favour” she announced. He smiled and they agreed to meet on the eighth floor.

“Bloody Hell Swan I’m going to get a nosebleed up here” he dragged his bag behind him.  
  
“Oh hi” he said to Regina who stood at the top of the stairs.  
  
“Hi Killian” she replied  
  
“Nice visit home?” He asked, annoyed it wasn’t going to be just him an Emma.  
  
“Not really, thanks for asking” Regina defended  
  
“Ok, come on” Emma shouted from half way down the corridor. They both made their way over. The room was a lot smaller than it had been when Emma and Regina practised duelling in it. The ceiling slanted on one side and there was slow yellow light coming through a window. There were low shelves filled with records and a gramophone. There was a beaten up looking armchair and a few beanbags strewn around, a Weird Sisters poster peeling off the wall and the middle of the room was empty.  
  
“Holy Cr-“ Killian started  
  
“Woah” Emma said at the same time.  
  
They all entered and Killian put his bag down to look at the records. Emma plonked herself down on a beanbag and Regina followed her.  
  
“What are these?” she asked  
  
“They are for sitting on” Emma replied. Killian noted Emma didn’t make fun of Regina like she did him.  
  
“Like furniture for poor people, love” he said. Regina and Emma both looked at him and he laughed. Regina held Emma’s hand to steady her as she sat on one. Unsure at first, she settled into it. Killian put some music on and Emma got up immediately. 

They danced and danced to Stevie Wonder, Queen, Abba, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols. They sang the words at each other, they leapt around and laughed and Regina was content to watch them, listening to this strange kind of music she had never heard before.

After dancing for what seemed like hours in the hazy room Killian and Emma lounged on bean bags. Regina knelt by the record player watching it work. She picked up a record she liked the look of; a woman sitting in a dress with lots of skirts and boots. Donna Summer I Feel Love. She slid the record from the sleeve. She lifted the needle off the current record that had finished and placed hers on and carefully dropped the needle. 

A smooth beat came from the gramophone. She stood up. Emma watched her, Killian stared at the ceiling. Regina swayed slightly. At first it was just her shoulders, then her hips too, then all of her in one. She turned slowly, her eyes closed, her arms lifted slightly and her fingers outstretched. The music and singing and beat built up until they almost overwhelmed her. 

Then the music tailed off to leave just a beat and other noises. She still danced but she opened her eyes. She held her hand out to Emma who went over to her. Regina turned her back to her and continued to dance. Emma moved closer to her and let Regina press her body to hers. She moved with her. Killian was watching them both now. They curled around each other, moving in perfect time. They seemed entwined one minute, then the next they weren’t touching. Regina’s eyes were closed again, Emma watched her as she danced. 

The eight-minute song began to fade out. Killian scrambled to the record player to follow the it with something that would not ruin the moment. In seconds he had replaced I Feel Love with Son of a Preacher Man. Emma smiled and raised her hands above her head. Killian rolled his sleeves to the elbow. He went to Emma and put his arm round her waist. She opened her eyes and smiled. She put an arm around his shoulders and swayed with him for a while.  
  
“Thank you” she smiled widely at him before she moved away from him, touching only his hands. Her hips turned and swayed to the music. He swayed too and watched her. She reached out to Regina who was in her own world. The song was coming to an end. Killian swapped it for Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams. 

He came back to Emma and Regina. They were dancing close. Emma held her hand out to him, behind Regina’s back. He seemed unsure. He took her hand and began to dance with them again. Regina had one hand on Emma’s waist but let go to turn to Killian. He watched her face for signals, feeling he might be intruding. She smiled at him and began revolving on the spot with her arms up as all three danced together.  
  
Killian swapped the song for Here You Come Again. He dragged a beanbag over to the record player and sat to watch Emma and Regina. He felt sad watching them. He wanted Emma but their closeness was something he couldn’t touch. And it wasn’t Regina’s fault, he knew. He doubted she even knew what they had yet.

Some time later, none of them could say how much, Emma and Regina lay face to face on a huge beanbag. Killian was asleep by the record player. They hadn’t spoken, they just lay there listening to the music. They were close, but not touching until Emma reached out her hand to stroke Regina’s.  
  
“I don’t want to hurt you” Regina said quietly. Emma looked into her eyes and saw sadness.  
  
“This hurts” Emma said “Being near you hurts. Not being near you hurts more. I feel alone all the time.” A tear dropped from Regina’s eye and she wiped it.  
  
“What can she take from me?” Emma asked, pleadingly.  
  
“Me” Regina said. “The only thing she can take from you is me. From me she can take everything”  
  
“Hasn’t she already?” Emma asked. Regina wiped another tear. Emma put her arms around Regina and held her while she cried, silently in the secret corner of the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I got a bit carried away in there, but I wanted to give the story a bit more context in the time it's set in, and 70s music is so good...


	9. Practical defence

"Good morning, Swan" Killian said as he passed Emma in the hall.  
  
"Yeah" she said with a sigh. Killian stopped and turned to her.  
  
"Did something happen?" He asked.  
  
"Nope" Emma replied "everything is exactly the same as it was a day, a week, a month ago".  
  
"Come here" he said, he took her arm and pulled her over to an empty part of the Gryffindor table and uncharacteristically she let him. They sat.  
  
"What's going on? You seemed pretty cosy the other night" he said quietly. Emma pushed spilled table salt around into a pile.

"I think that was the end, Killian. She's trapped and I can't see a way to help her. She only has control over one thing in her life. If she lets me in she’ll lose that too." Emma said "I shouldn't even be talking to you about this. I'm sorry" she put her head in her other hand and continued making her salt pile. He watched her for a moment.  
  
"Swan. I watched you dancing. That was an act of defiance if ever I saw one" Emma looked up and met his gaze. "That was an act of war, Swan. This is the fight. The question is can you make her fight for herself?"  
  
  
"Hey Mills" Avery shouted at Regina as she walked with Aubrey to breakfast. She kept her head down.  
  
"Your mummy sends her love" he sneered as he passed them. Aubrey stood with his shoulders back. He was tall, easily taller than Avery and would love an excuse to prove the advantage this gave him.  
  
"Slither back to the dungeon, Avery" he said.  
  
"Oh Ravenclaw, so witty, so clever" Emma Vanity said from Avery’s side. Regina ignored them both and kept walking. She was so focused on the ground, on not reacting that she hadn't noticed Emma and Killian walk right by them. 

"Oi mudblood, keep to your own, will you? No pure blood wants your filthy hands on them" Avery spat. Regina and Aubrey turned in shock at hearing the profanity, as did every other student in the vicinity.  
  
"That's not quite true, is it?" Emma winked at Emma Vanity who blushed  
  
"I…I…I don't know what you mean" she stuttered  
  
"I think you do, sweetheart" Emma said. She passed them both and shouldered Vanity aside.

Avery glowered looking from Vanity to Swan. The next moment his wand was pointed at Emma. She hit the floor and writhed and screamed. In the couple of seconds it took for people to realise what was happening, Killian aimed at curse at Avery. He deflected, but broke his curse on Emma in the process. She lay still.   
  
There was silence in the hall. More Slytherins amassed beside Avery. All colour had drained from Vanity's face as she stared at Emma lying on the floor. She wasn’t moving. Killian’s chest heaved as he waited for Avery’s next move. Regina pushed stunned students aside to get to Emma.

"Crucio!" Avery screamed again and slammed the curse down at Emma and this time everyone heard him.  
  
Killian could not believe what was happening, that a student in his school was using an unforgivable curse on someone seemingly for fun. He was frozen to the ground. Regina, having only just reached Emma and with no time for a protective spell did the only thing she could, she stepped into the path of the curse. It hit her full in the chest.   
  
Regina hit the floor, her bones felt like they were on fire, she was sure she would die from the pain. She couldn't even hear the bloodcurdling scream that came out of her.

Within seconds their friends closed ranks around them. Killian, Aubrey, Remus, Ruby, Davey, Charlie, every one of them threw everything they had at the group gathered around Avery.   
  
They defended him well, though some like Emma Vanity managed to slink away without being noticed.   
  
Killian stunned the Slytherin attacking him and used the second that no one was looking at him to launch himself at Avery. His shoulder went into his soft stomach and the curse on Regina was broken. He let out a yell as Killian hurled him to the ground. Ruby was right behind him and cast a strong shield charm in time to catch the searing curses that flew their way from all sides of Avery’s defence.   
  
Avery kicked under Killian who punched him square in the face. He stopped struggling. Killian took his wand and turned. The Slytherins were divided and dispersed around them. Ruby stunned fleeing attackers and Killian turned to see his friend.   
  
Davey pulled Emma to her feet, though her body was limp. Aubrey held Regina in his arms, flanked by Charlie and Remus they headed off to the hospital wing. 

"Where the hell are the teachers?" Killian shouted. Ruby ran to help Davey and together they carried Emma to the hospital wing. Killian chased after them for protection. More students were appearing and rushed to help their friends, though Remus guarded the stunned Slytherins.  
  
“Stay back!” He growled at any who approached them, his wand raised.

"Merlin's beard!" Slughorn exclaimed as he turned the corner. McGonagall was right behind him, wand out. She looked searchingly around the scene. Stunned and injured students lay in the hall, some were crying, some were helping their friends.  
  
"Is anyone badly hurt, Remus?" She asked  
  
"Avery cast the cruciatus curse on Emma Swan and Regina Mills” He said through his teeth. McGonagall took in a breath sharply. “They are being taken to the hospital wing" he replied. The two professors were stunned. McGonagall turned to the students.  
  
"Anyone who is hurt go straight to the hospital wing. Everyone else go to your common room to await further instruction. No one is to leave the castle" she announced. People began to move and she went to Remus. Hot tears of rage and anguish were in his eyes. McGonagall put her hand on his shoulder.   
  
  
Emma opened her eyes. Everything was a blur. She vaguely recognised the tall arched ceiling of the hospital wing. She felt the bedclothes heavy on her body. She felt like she was made of lead. She tried to turn her head and a streak of fire went through her. She gasped. Suddenly Killian was by her side.  
  
"You're awake!" He said softly "water?" He asked  
  
"Yes" she croaked at him.  
  
"Pomfrey says you'll feel normal again in a few days but that moving around will still hurt for a while". Emma sipped the water and relaxed a little. At least she wasn't dead. She had a friend and someone was looking after her.  
  
"Do you remember anything?" He asked her. Tears came to her eyes.  
  
"Just...pain" she said quietly "like you can't imagine" the tears fell from her eyes "like needles and fire and you can't see or hear and you want to die" Killian leant down to hold her and she put her arms around him, though stinging hot pins and needles ran through them.

"Who stopped him?" She asked, into his Gryffindor jumper.  
  
"Well" He began, unsure where to start. "He tried to curse you again and Regina blocked it"  
  
"She's very quick with her wand" Emma said, remembering the brevity of their duals.  
  
"No" Killian said "she took the curse, Emma. She stood in front of you" Emma pushed him back and stared at him.  
  
"No. Is she ok? Is she here?" She asked, looking around the beds she could see. Regina was in none of them.  
  
"She's ok" he said "Pomfrey says she'll take longer to recover. She took it for longer than you did" he said, his words full of regret that he could not stop Avery sooner.  
  
“I stopped him as soon as I could, Emma. Spilled some of that pure blood, and I’ll spill more if I get the chance” Emma burst into tears. He held his friend until long after she stopped.

"Mr Jones, they will stop serving dinner soon" Professor Sprout said peering round the curtain.  
  
"I'm not hungry" he said as his stomach lurched. Emma almost smiled.  
  
"Fine" he said. He kissed Emma on the head. "Oh I have this for you too" he passed her the canvas bag Aubrey had given her. This time she did manage a small smile.   
  
  
The next day Emma got out of bed and into a wheelchair. Professor Sprout had stayed overnight in the wing and was relieved by Killian the next morning who was happy to wheel her over to Regina.  
  


She was asleep. Her face looked grave. Emma was shocked.  
  
"Do I look like this?" She asked. Killian shook his head. Aubrey came over to Regina's bed and resumed his position in the chair next to her.  
  
"Has she woken up yet?" Killian asked. Aubrey shook his head. "Madam Pomfrey gave her something for dreamless sleep" he said with a rasp in his throat. They stayed at Regina's bed for a while. Ignatia came to relieve Aubrey and she and Killian went to get her some fresh water while Emma sat with her.  
  
"I said a small act of rebellion, remember? Not being a human shield for bloody unforgivable curses" Emma said. She held Regina's hand. It felt cold. "I'm sorry I got you caught up in this. If I could go back…” she thought for a moment “I don't know if I would do anything differently. I might have kissed you in the astronomy tower." She said. "I definitely would have kissed you while you were dancing. God. We should never have left that room" Regina's hand twitched and gripped her hand. Emma gasped.  
  
"Everything alright?" Killian asked from further down the ward.  
  
"Yeah" Emma said. She wasn't showing any other signs of being awake. She looked at the darkness under Regina's eyes, her straight nose, the scar on her lip.  
  
"I can't believe you, Regina Mills. You’re fierce. You’re strong. You’re brave.” She said. “You might be perfect but you have no idea”. A tear dropped from Regina’s eye, but Emma was on the wrong side to see it.


	10. Patronus

Emma sat by the fire in the Hufflepuff common room. She leant against one of the deep sofas with a yellow and black knitted blanket across her legs, but she still felt cold.

"So Avery was expelled?" she asked Davey.  
  
"Yeah, well the idiot had about 30 witnesses so there wasn't much he could do. A lot of other Slytherins got in serious trouble too. Vanity might have escaped without too much hassle, she didn't actually do anything, she was just there. It’s pretty scary though, considering who all their parents are."  
  
Emma thought about what Regina had said. ‘Muggleborns. Blood traitors. The same names keep coming up. I think they’re deatheaters’. She glanced at the sofa she and Regina had fallen asleep on.  
  
"Do you want to sit here?" Romena Newhope asked.  
  
"Oh, no sorry. I'm happy here" she said and smiled, though it still hurt to move her muscles.  
  
"I thought Killian might get in trouble for a bit, but everyone thinks he's the hero of the day, after Regina obviously" he added, slightly self conscious of his crush on Regina in front of Emma.  
  
"Yeah" she said "I heard she would be out of the hospital wing tomorrow. I'm going to go. Do you want to come?" She asked  
  
"No I don't want to crowd her. You look exhausted and you've had a few nights in your own bed. I can't imagine how either of you feel" he replied  
  
"Well there's no need to" Emma said. There was a pause while Emma looked at the fire and Davey exchanged a look with Romena.  
  
"I got some peppermint bark from the kitchen for you. Is it still your favourite?" He asked  
  
"Yes it is!" She turned back to her friends and took a piece, smaller than one she would usually take but it still wasn't small.   
  
  
Aubrey rolled Regina’s wheelchair slowly up and down the hospital wing. She liked the sense of movement, even if it wasn’t under her own steam.  
  
"Are you looking forward to being in your own bed?" He asked  
  
"Yes" Regina said "my bed, my pyjamas, my friends around me" she thought of Emma. "What's the atmosphere like?"  
  
"It's pretty tense. Slughorn looks like he's ready to have a heart attack at any moment, McGonagall might be forgoing sleep to walk the halls, Filch is...well he's being Filch. Flitwick has been here every day, to check on you. Emma said Sprout practically does a head count in the evenings.” Regina’s stomach lurched at the mention of Emma. “All the teachers have been kind of on high alert" he said, slowly turning them at the end of the room.  
  
Regina was quiet. The hushed sounds of a distant conversation echoed around the large room.

She wanted to ask how Emma was, but when she thought of her, all she could think of was pain. Her body tingled unpleasantly at the memory. Aubrey hummed slightly as he wheeled. She cleared her mind and closed her eyes. The dull ache in her chest was manageable. She felt safe in Aubrey's care.   
  
  
"Maybe you should take it easy" Davey said to Emma at Quidditch practice.  
  
"Maybe Gryffindor will go easy on us at the next match. Oh no wait, they're ruthless winners." Emma replied.  
  
"But you don't want to do yourself in right before the match!" He said. Emma sighed  
  
"Look if I do myself in during practice, I shouldn't be in the match. That's it!" she said and walked away. The team dispersed and Davey watched her, still uneasy.  
  
She dragged the practice balls out into the field. Hufflepuff's A and B teams got into position. Emma threw the quaffle into the air and hopped into her broom. The point between her shoulders where the curse had hit her was still sore. She stretched every day to try to get rid of residual aches but that spot couldn't be stretched out.  
  
She knocked the bludgers as hard as ever and though at first she was sore and slower than usual, she enjoyed letting her frustrations out on the aggressive balls. There was a collision ten feet off the ground and she and Romena ended in a heap on the floor. Everyone froze until they heard them both laughing.   
  
  
Emma made her way to the prefect's bathroom after practice, covered in mud from her rumble in the grass and happy with her performance.  
  
"Frankincense and merpeople?" She asked the door. It didn't budge.  
  
"Ugh, I tried" she said and turned, but the door opened eventually. "Sweet!" She said entering the steamy room.  
  
"Hello?" Emma called  
  
"Hi" Regina replied. Emma turned the corner to the main room.  
  
"Hey" she said, much softer. The door closed and she kicked off her boots. "Sorry I didn't know you'd be in here. Do you mind?”  
  
Regina sat on one of the benches in a bathrobe, waiting to the bath to fill with blue-green water the scent of fresh fruit. She shook her head.  
  
Emma stood awkwardly, unsure of what to do with herself.  
  
"I'll just use the other bathroom" she said, turning.  
  
"It's ok" Regina said. Emma stayed where she was. "Are we ok?" She asked Emma. She smiled hesitantly.  
  
"Yeah I think so. Are you ok?" She asked. Regina nodded and got up slowly to turn the tap off. As she reached down Emma saw a bruise on her chest. It was deep red and radiated out in twisted spears, ravaging her skin. Emma looked away and tears filled her eyes.  
  
"Are you getting in?" Regina asked  
  
Emma turned back to face her. Regina caught sight of her tears and walked over.  
  
"Hey" she said quietly. "Everything is ok". She brushed the hair that had fallen from Emma’s ponytail back from her face. Emma touched her arm and she flinched.  
  
"Sorry" Regina said, putting her arm down. They stood quietly for a moment. Tears dropped from Emma's eyes, though she tried her best to stop them.

"Come on" Regina said, turning back to the bath. She started to untie her robe. Emma closed her eyes until she heard her enter the water. She undressed and got into the enormous bath. At first the warmth made her hot cheeks burn, but it also seeped into her muscles and bones. The aches subsided and the pains were dulled. She felt warm for the first time in days.  
  
"Emma" Regina said after a while "you're…" she stalled. Emma swam over to face her. She sat on one of the steps leading out of the bath, spikes of her bruise just visible above the waterline.  
  
Emma could see Regina struggling for words but she seemed to be struggling for breath too.  
  
"Regina?" Emma asked. She held up her hand for Emma to stop. Emma took her hand and she flinched again but didn't pull it away. Emma felt her pulse.  
  
"Regina your heart is beating so fast. Do you want to get out of the bath? What do you need?" Emma asked, panicking slightly.  
  
"Time" Regina forced out and tried to control her breathing.  
  
"Ok" Emma said "water?" Emma asked. Regina nodded. Emma pulled herself out of the water, not using the steps Regina sat on. She grabbed a robe, pulled it on quickly and went over to the sink to fill a glass with cold water.  
  
When she came back to Regina she seemed to have her breathing under control. She took a few sips and handed the glass back.  
  
"Do you want help getting out?" Emma asked. Regina nodded again. She turned slowly, her feet finding the steps they needed. Emma took her arms.  
  
"Ok, slow and steady" Emma said. She held Regina's gaze as she stepped. She stumbled, almost slid back into the pool but Emma's strength kept her from falling.  
  
"You're ok" she said "look at me" and she did "you're fine. You're nearly out"  
  
When she took the final step, Emma moved to her side, putting an arm round her waist and holding Regina’s arm over her shoulder. They walked slowly to the bench where Regina's robe was. Emma let her use her arm as a support when she lowered herself to the bench. Emma kept her back to her while she pulled on her robe.  
  
"It's ok" Regina said. Emma turned and sat next to her.  
  
"What caused it?" Emma asked.  
  
"I think it was" Regina started. Her hands still shook  
  
"Was it me?" Emma asked. Regina looked into Emma's eyes, her own filled with so much sadness Emma thought it would swallow her whole.  
  
"I don't know why" Regina whispered.  
  
"Should I go?" Emma asked. Regina didn't respond. She desperately wanted Emma to stay, but her heart would not stop banging in her chest. Emma stood.  
  
"Wait" Regina said, slowly standing. She reached for Emma's arm and found it held out to support her.  
  
"Emma" she said, her voice breaking. She reached to hug Emma who pulled her in immediately and held her. She felt Regina's heart beating rapidly. She thought about the last time she held her, in that quiet, peaceful room. They fit perfectly. Regina let go, so Emma did too.   
  
  
"This is advanced magic so you should not expect to be successful immediately" Professor Nock said to her combined Defence class. Their lessons seemed to be more and more practical as the weeks went on. The atmosphere in the school was tense. Few students would go anywhere alone.

"The key to the patronus charm is to focus on your happiest memory. Concentrate hard" Flitwick added, as he assisted the larger class.

They spread out in the Great Hall. The house tables were gone and low benches lines the walls.  
  
"Bloody hell!" Killian shouted producing a shark momentarily. Emma applauded and continued trying to produce hers. The harder she tried the less successful she was. Killian pretended not to notice.

Sirius Black produced a dog that bounded the length of the hall. Aubrey produced an impressive shield.  
  
"Well done!" Regina said and squeezed his arm. He beamed back at her.  
  
"Have you tried?" He asked and her smile disappeared.  
  
"Very good Mr Aubrey! Miss Mills?" Flitwick looked at his favourite student. She worked hard, was naturally quick and loved to learn. She looked back at him with apprehension. She looked at Aubrey, he smiled brightly at her.  
  
"Expecto patronum" she said, her wand up, thinking about random events in her past. The night she was sorted, the day she spent with her father playing Quidditch in their garden at home, the day she spent chasing the snitch with Emma. White light erupted from her wand, then turned red and slicked on the floor like paint. She looked at it sadly as it faded away.  
  
"A very good start, Miss Mills" Flitwick said loud enough for the students who had witnessed to hear. Most of them turned back to their work. "Focus on your memory, I sense you couldn't pick out one that would do it, or one that was completely happy?" He smiled sympathetically and left her. Aubrey turned to her.  
  
"Want to try again?" He asked. She shook her head and went to sit on the bench. She pulled out her textbook instead.   
  
  
Emma Vanity watched her and felt something like sympathy. Killian's patronus swam around Emma and she laughed and spun with it, almost running into Vanity.  
  
"Oh gosh, sorry" she said before she realised who she had walked into. "Oh" she said on recognising her.  
  
"Emma" Vanity said before she turned away. "Can we talk?"  
  
"Talk?" Emma asked "we never talked, Vanity" Killian raised an eyebrow behind them both.  
  
"I know" she said quietly "can we?" Emma sighed.

Regina looked up from her textbook to see Emma and Vanity having a private conversation in the midst of the lesson. No one seemed to notice them, concentrating on the own work. 'Well' she thought 'it makes sense for her to be with someone she can look at without being overwhelmed with guilt. I can't even let her touch me. Why would she want me?'  
  
She went back to her book and sighed. Tears blurred her vision but she would not wipe them.

"Yeah we can talk, after dinner? Meet here?" Emma asked  
  
"Um, can we meet somewhere else?" Vanity asked  
  
"Your friends wouldn't like you being friendly with me, I guess?" She asked. Vanity looked at the floor.  
  
"It's hard, Emma" she said  
  
"Yeah" Emma said, glancing at Regina and remembering her fear of her mother.  
  
"Defence classroom?" She asked. Vanity smiled and nodded.  
  
"Ok" Emma said. She turned back to Killian.  
  
"Talking, hey?" He asked  
  
"Yes" Emma said narrowing her eyes at him.  
  
"I see" he replied "can I watch?" She punched him hard in the arm.  
  
  
Emma went to dinner in her jeans and a fairly tight band tshirt.  
  
"You look nice" Killian said, meeting her in the hall  
  
"Do you want to join Hufflepuff? Is that why you hover around?" Emma said, though she was pleased he had said so, confirming her intention. Killian pushed off the wall he was leaning on.  
  
"Maybe I can convert you instead?" He asked "I'd love to get in your Gry-"  
  
"STOP" Emma said holding her hand up to his face, he laughed heartily. "Stop right there. I never want to hear the end of that sentence". He shrugged and walked down the steps with her.

Emma sat with Romena and Davey for dinner and turned down an invitation for wizards chess and one for a study session.  
  
"Where are you going?" Davey asked as she left "you can't go by yourself."  
  
"I can, and I am" Emma said "Davey, I'll be back later. Stop worrying" Davey frowned.  
  
"Have fun" Romena smiled at her knowingly. Emma smiled back and left.  
  
"Fun doing what?" She heard Davey ask Romena.   
  
  
"Psst" Vanity peeked out from behind a suit of armour.  
  
"Why are you hiding?" Emma asked "there's no one here". Vanity looked down the corridor.  
  
"Can we go somewhere?" She asked. Emma opened the door to the classroom.  
  
"Ta dah" Emma said, walking through the door. Vanity hopped into the room and closed the door quietly.  
  
"What is this about, Van?" Emma asked, leaning on a desk.  
  
"I just needed to talk to you" she replied. Emma waited.  
  
"I'm...sorry for not stopping Avery" she said, leaning on the opposite desk to Emma though she stared at the floor. Emma watched her for a while. She reached out and took Vanity's hand. She didn't flinch, at least. Vanity looked up at her.  
  
"Thank you for apologising" Emma said "I accept". Vanity smiled widely and hugged her. Emma was oddly relieved and hugged her back. When they broke away Vanity kissed her. For a moment Emma kissed her back. It was familiar and it felt good to be wanted. Emma stepped back.  
  
"What's wrong?" Vanity asked. Emma looked into her eyes.  
  
"You can't give me what I need" Emma said thinking about Regina, and how she couldn't either.  
  
"I don't think that's true" Vanity said before she leaned in for another kiss. Vanity's hands were around her waist, they squeezed her bum, her thighs, they tugged at her tshirt. Emma didn't stop her and for a short while her loneliness subsided.   
  
  
Emma went to the library on Saturday morning to read up on Quidditch tactics. She saw Regina reading at a table, making notes on parchment. She sat down opposite and opened her book. Regina didn't see her. She twirled her hair in her fingers as she read.  
  
"Hey prefect" Emma said after a moment. Regina looked up with a start  
  
"Hey" she said and smiled  
  
"Emma" she said pointing to herself. Regina's smile widened.  
  
"I know your name, Hufflepuff. I'm not one of those prefects" she replied  
  
"Oh I see, my apologies" Emma said and went back to her book. Regina watched her. Her blonde hair was tied up loosely, though curls fell forwards as she read. Regina wanted to reach over and tuck them behind her ear, but as she was imagining doing so, Emma Vanity passed behind Emma and squeezed her shoulder. She didn't look at Regina, though she watched her. Emma looked up to see who it was, then smiled and went back to her book. Regina sat back in her chair and put her quill down. She watched Emma as she read.  
  
'I can't give her what she wants.' Regina thought to herself. 'Do I know what she wants? Have I asked? I think I know, but that's not the same.' She turned at the sound of giggling and saw Dirk Cresswell flirting with Romena Newhope. 'I want that' Regina thought 'I want the freedom to flirt and do what I want and' she looked back at Emma. The pain in her chest throbbed. Emma looked up.  
  
"You ok?" Emma asked. Regina rubbed the spot that hurt.  
  
"Yeah I think I'm going to go" she said, closing the book  
  
"Can I come?" Emma asked.  
  
"Sure" Regina said without looking. They walked without talking for a while. When the corridor was mostly empty Regina turned to Emma.  
  
"Emma Vanity?" She asked. Emma was stunned.  
  
"Wow. This is familiar" she said. Neither of them spoke. Emma looked out of the window wondering how honest to be.  
  
"Do you want me?" She asked eventually. Regina looked into her bright blue eyes. Her mouth opened slightly but nothing came out. She was choked. 'Yes, I think so, I know so, I can't, I can't let myself, I can't because you'll get hurt' all these things rushed to Regina's mind and she didn't know where to start. Emma shook her head.

“I mean, you stood in front of an unforgivable curse for me! But I can’t touch you, you won’t even tell me how you feel. I don’t understand and it’s torture” she said. "You don't get to tell me what to do when you can't even tell me what you want. Vanity helps me feel less alone in this castle full of people. The thing that makes me feel most alone is you, leaving me hanging by a thread”  
  
Still Regina said nothing. Emma stepped closer to Regina and straightened her blouse collar.  
  
“If you want me, come and get me” Emma said. She looked down into Regina’s face. Sometimes her dark brown eyes were like an open book, but now they were inscrutable. Emma turned and strode back down the corridor, determined to hide her own broken heart.


	11. Herbology

"Chinese Chomping Cabbage is unfairly mischaracterised by it's name. Misunderstood as aggressive this vegetable is actually just demanding" Professor Sprout explained to the class.

Emma was only half listening. She munched on a carrot and looked out of the window. She saw James, Lily, Ruby, Remus and the Gryffindor Quidditch team heading down to the pitches.

"You absolutely must not eat in front if it" Sprout said. Emma's eyes widened. She put the carrot down slowly and watched her cabbage fearfully. "As they will consider you a threat and be completely unresponsive, however if you offer food, especially carrots which are their favourites, they are very compliant" she demonstrated.

Sprout walked around the greenhouse supervising students attempting to feed their cabbages.  
  
"Miss Swan?" She asked, looking at the half eaten carrot.

"I thought it was cannibalistic to feed a vegetable to a vegetable" she said. Sprout smiled.  
  
"A conscientious objector! Excellent excuse, Miss Swan. Could you answer a question from the homework then? Name a potion that uses the Chinese Chomping Cabbage." She said. Emma thought hard. She had done the homework in the common room before Quidditch, but if she was honest she had rushed it.

"I'm going to go with..." She said, Sprout smiled approvingly at the suspenseful reply "Skelegro"  
  
"Very well done, Miss Swan. Then you are excused from trying to feed your plant, though please await instruction in future classes before you eat something worse than a peace offering carrot" Sprout said. Emma nodded.  
  
"Right!" Sprout said, turning back to the class.

Pretty pleased with herself, Emma went back to not really listening.  
  
"Carrot for your thoughts?" Killian asked from beside her, holding up another.  
  
"Hmm? What? Oh" she said in response. "Just thinking about quidditch"  
  
"Ah, well no hard feelings in advance" he said. She rolled her eyes at him. Gryffindors, always so cocky about quidditch.  
  
"So what are you actually thinking about?" He asked, offering the carrot to his cabbage, which bowed and accepted.  
  
"I might start going out with someone" she said  
  
"Oh! Are things looking up with you and Regina?" He asked  
  
"You know, older women may not be for me" Emma replied, referencing their enormous 6 month age gap.  
  
"I see" Killian responded with a sympathetic smile "apart from Vanity who is older than you and is all for you too from what I can see" he added  
  
"You don't see anything, Killian. She has a boyfriend and I need..." She trailed off.  
  
"Someone without a boyfriend or scary guilt scars?” he asked  
  
"Hey" Emma warned.  
  
"Sorry" he said "but that's what they are. You have a guilt thing about her. Every time she doesn't smile when she used to, every time she leaves when she would have stayed, every time she let's slip that she's still in pain from that curse, you feel it like a knife in your heart." he said quietly using his now compliant cabbage as a shield against eaves droppers. Emma stared back at him.

"How do you know that?" She asked. He looked back at her, his face was serious.  
  
"Because I feel it too, Swan. But my guilt is from you. If I had been quicker, if I'd had your back, if I hadn't been so surprised I might have saved you" he said. Emma put her hand on his arm.  
  
"You did though, didn't you? You saved us both and everyone knows it, too" she said  
  
"It doesn’t matter" he replied. "And Emma Vanity, Swan come on! She's one of them!" He said  
  
"My god" Emma said turning away from him. ‘How many times am I going to hear this speech?’ she thought.

“Regina’s going to end up with Aubrey” Killian said “They were close, he had a girlfriend, she made him push her away, they separated, now they’re friends again. What do you think is going to happen? He’s going to rescue her from her evil mother and they’ll get married and have lots of clever babies. It’s all a bit of a fairy tale, really. Horrible” he said. Emma processed everything he had said. It did seem to make sense. It hurt her heart to think about.

"Go out with me" Killian said. Emma tilted her head.  
  
"But you know I-" she started  
  
"Yeah. But you won't forever" he said "and you'll never take the leap without someone to catch you. Let it be me" he said candidly.

She watched him for a moment. His eyes were genuine, his body was turned towards her and his arms were open.  
  
"I don't want to hurt you" she almost said, but stopped herself realising that's exactly what Regina had said to her. She wanted the chance to be hurt, to have something to hurt over if hurt was unavoidable anyway, it would be worth it with Regina for a chance of happiness.

"I'll think about it" Emma said  
  
"Great" he replied with a cheeky smile that he thought she didn't see.  
  
  
It was Hogsmeade weekend and almost the entire population of the school descended on the village. Killian disappeared after a while, Emma suspected to the junk shop for some more dodgy dealing. 

Emma happened across Aubrey at the bar of the three broomsticks.  
  
"Hey, how are you?" She asked  
  
"Not bad, not bad" he smiled his charming smile "yourself?"  
  
"I'm pretty good thanks. Looking forward to thrashing Gryffindor next weekend"  
  
"I wouldn't be so sure, Potter's been on a roll recently" he replied. Emma laughed  
  
"I suppose you would be scared of him since your team hasn't beaten Gryffindor in how long?" She asked  
  
"Not that long, I don't think" he said  
  
"Oh no?" She asked, not dropping the subject"I was sure it was something like t-"  
  
"No, no couldn't possibly be that long" he replied. She laughed again.  
  
"Seriously though, how are you?" Emma asked. His face turned a little more serious  
  
"Ah you know" he said looking for the bartender "could be better, could be much worse. The NEWTS are going to be tough I think, but I've got a good study group. I think we'll be fine" he said. "How's your Walkman?" He asked  
  
"Literally the best thing that I've ever had, thank you so much for working that enchantment on it" she said  
  
"Three butterbeers" he said to the bartender "and..." He turned to Emma  
  
"Oh two more butterbeers" she said.  
  
"Who are you here with?" Aubrey asked  
  
"Oh no one, these are for me" she replied. He laughed and picked up one of the drinks put in front of him. Emma handed some coins to the bartender and told her to keep the change. She picked a tankard up for herself.  
  
"To bar small talk with people you wish you knew better" she said. He grinned widely at her and clinked drinks. They both drank but were interrupted by the quiet that fell on the area near where the door had opened.  
  
In the doorway stood a woman with red hair, a slanted hat, very expensive looking black robes with green detailing and a fiercely disapproving look on her face. She stared around the room.

Regina had been talking to Charlie about the most productive way to organise their study schedule when the hush fell. Before she looked she knew who was standing at the door.

"Mrs Mills!" Slughorn exclaimed, setting down his fire whiskey. "Horace, good to see you as always" she said as she brushed past him and pinpointed what she was looking for. She strode over to Regina's table.  
  
"Regina" she said sharply.  
  
"Hello Mother" Regina replied, respectfully but not warmly. Her chest hurt again. "I didn't expect to see you in Hogsmeade"  
  
"No, well why would you? I had business in the area and happened to hear that you were here" she said the last word so disdainfully and looked around the room.  
  
"Really, what have you come here for?" She asked  
  
"To socialise, Mother" Regina replied, her face so expressionless she hardly looked like herself. Charlie stood.  
  
“Charlie Thickey, Mrs Mills. It’s a pleasure to meet you” he said.  
  
“Thickey?” Cora asked “Any relation to Janus?”  
  
“No mam” he said  
  
“Probably for the best” she replied. Charlie sat. Cora caught Regina’s gaze flick to the bar and back, turned and locked onto Emma. She took a few steps towards her.

Emma stared back. Cora almost smiled as she spoke.  
  
"Oh yes, I can see why this one had you all in a flutter". She looked Emma slowly up and down, as if drinking her in. Then looked at Aubrey.  
  
"Yes he's very handsome, dear but not at all a good match, I'm afraid." Aubrey glanced at Regina whose face could have been made of porcelain.  
  
"Bertram, dear, tell your mother I asked after her" her said  
  
"I will, Mrs Mills" he replied  
  
"Regina" she demanded as she turned and swept out of the room. Regina left her table without hesitation and swung her cloak around her shoulders as she marched after her mother. Her boot strikes on the wooden floor sounded confident and proud, 'another part of her stone faced act?' Emma wondered. She glanced in the direction of Emma and Aubrey, though not really at either of them.

The sound of drinking, gossip and deals being struck returned to the pub. Aubrey turned to Emma.  
  
"Wow" she said, taking a long draught of butterbeer.  
  
"Yeah" he replied.  
  
Emma went back to her table and slid the other butterbeer over to Romena. Aubrey watched her, with more scrutiny than before.  
  
  
Regina strode to keep up with her mother.  
  
"I don't require your assistance" she said, not checking to see if Regina was behind her. "But I've heard some frankly ludicrous things and I thought this would be a good time to remind you of your aims at that shambles of a school."  
  
"Yes, mother" Regina replied, now in step with Cora  
  
"Work hard, you have to improve your skills with the dark arts. I don't know why you study so hard at potions, you can buy the potions you need. Your wand is your weapon, your life may depend on the skill with which you wield it" Cora said heading towards Gladrags Wizardwear.  
  
"Find a Slytherin boy to court you, for Merlin's sake, it can't be too hard. Boys that age will say yes to anything that moves"  
  
"If you say so, mother" Regina replied, Cora stopped striding through the snow and turned.  
  
"I do say so" she leant close to Regina, her voice low and threatening  
  
"And if I hear one more whisper about that filthy little mudblood, -standing at the bar, blonde and brazen as anything- I will have you out of that school and married to an Avery before you can say quidditch." She spat "now get out of my sight". Cora turned on her heel and stormed away. Regina didn't move until Cora was out of sight and earshot. Then she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She turned to walk into the snow. Away from the village, away from other students, away from everything.


	12. Chapter 12

Lily Evans appeared seemingly out of nowhere. She had overheard everything Cora said, now she watched Regina walk away into the snow. It wasn’t snowing now, but the wind was bitterly cold. Lily shivered. Something invisible tugged on her cloak. She smacked it away.  
  
"Not now, James" she said and walked back in the direction of the village.

Students were being hearded back to the castle. Lily approached McGonagall.  
  
"Professor, have you seen Regina Mills?" She asked  
  
"No Lily, the last I heard she was taken off by her mother" she replied, keeping a mental list of all the students who passed her. "She's not the type to get into trouble" she said. Lily's look of concern was all the reply she needed.  
  
"Will you look for her?" McGonagall asked "I have to take the students back"  
  
Lily nodded "Sirius and James would be helpful too"  
  
"Helpful? Those two?" McGonagall laughed. Lily smiled  
  
"You'd be surprised". The professor nodded assent and Lily turned back to the village.   
  
  
Regina stood at the top of a hill that overlooked Hogsmeade. She stood there for a long time, not to savour the view, but the distance. She grew cold, her heart throbbed in her chest. She tried to clear her mind but all she could think of was the cage she lived in, the trap that was set before her, the bait of the life that she wanted to live.

It grew darker and Regina felt less and less like returning to the castle. 'If I stay here forever' she thought 'I don't have to choose'. She was cold to the bone now, tired and fading. She could have made a fire to keep herself warm, but she didn't. She watched the lights of Hogsmeade turn on, slowly.

She heard a noise in the trees behind her. She unfolded her arms and turned stiffly. There was definitely something in there. She reached for her wand, her fingers were sore and slow to respond from hours of inaction.

A huge black dog appeared before her.  
  
"Hello" she said "you look familiar" she tried to place him. He came closer to her and let her pet his head.  
  
"You're lovely" she said to him, getting the sweet spot behind his ear that made his leg stamp. She laughed. When she stopped, he gently tugged on her robe sleeve, pulling her towards the trees. She resisted and pulled them back and he let go. He wagged his tail and went behind her. He tried nudging her towards the trees. She wouldn't be nudged either.  
  
"Hey, dog, come on" she said, pushing him away. He growled. Her wand was up but he moved away from her. He stood, body pointing towards the woods but his head was turned to her.  
  
"I'm not coming with you, dog, sorry". He stayed where he was. She tried to remember where she had seen him before. The more she thought, the more she felt the cold. It was as if her mind had been numbed too and as it woke, her body woke to the peril it was in. She began to shiver. She walked over to a thick tree limb that swept close to the ground and then up. The trees had sheltered the area from snow.   
  
The dog began to dig a hole in front of her. Then he seemed to wander off. 'Just as well' she thought 'if he is here and can see me, then I exist. If he doesn't, I don't have to'.  
  
The dog returned with something in its mouth. 'Fetch?' Regina thought, but something about it was not right. She didn't have the energy to figure out what. He did this a few times though she barely noticed him now. She wanted to sleep. The light was fading and she wanted to put her head down.

The dog barked sharply at her and she jolted awake. He sat next to the pit he dug. There were rocks around it and some sticks in the pit. Regina looked at it.  
  
"You're not just a dog are you?" She asked. The dog wagged its tail.  
  
"Incendio" she said weakly, pointing her wand at the sticks. They caught fire immediately but it was just a small fire. 'At least he will be warm tonight' She thought as she closed her eyes once more.  
  
Sirius added more wood to the fire, checked that he had cleared enough space around it so that it was safe to leave alone for a while, then was off like a rocket into the forest.   
  
  
Lily was making her way around the village asking shopkeepers if they had seen Regina. She found Emma rounding up the last students in Honeydukes.  
  
"Sorry Lily, I'll make sure these ones get back to the castle" she said, she knew Lily could empathise with muggle born students who had so many magical sweets still to experience.  
  
"Emma, Regina's missing" Lily said. Emma looked up. "She left her mother and I saw her walk away from the village but I don't think she has come back. James and Sirius went out into the woods and fields to look for her.  
  
"What can I do?" Emma asked  
  
"Do you know where she might have gone? Or what she would do?" Lily asked  
  
"Honestly, I think she wants to get as far away from everything as possible. We're lucky she doesn't have her broom" Emma replied. The students paid and made their way to the door.  
  
"I want to help" Emma said. Just then Sirius burst through the door, panting and sweating.  
  
"I've found her" he said "where's James?"  
  
"I don't know" Lily said.  
  
"I need him, neither of you will be fast enough" he said, still trying to catch his breath.  
  
"I can run" Emma said "where is she?"  
  
"She's in the forest" he gulped air into his lungs "at the lookout point, she wouldn't leave. She's very cold. I built a fire" he said  
  
Emma turned to the students waiting to get out of the door. She emptied most of her bag and gave them the contents.  
  
"If you three go and make your way back to the castle right now, and take this stuff to the Hufflepuff common room, I'll give you each a chocolate frog and some exploding gum" Emma said. The younger students marvelled at her generosity, took her belongings and scurried down the street, eager to get back to the castle.  
  
"What are you doing?" Lily asked  
  
"I'm going to get Regina" Emma said. She grabbed three chocolate bars and paid for them.  
  
"I'll update McGonagall and James. I'll send him your way" Lily said "Sirius, you saved the day. Will you make sure those students get back to the castle?" Lily asked him. He looked for a moment like he might object, but then, still gasping for air he agreed.

Emma left. She went quickly to The Magic Neep, then swung her rucksack on her back and took off at a run for the woods. She saw Lily's patronus streak away into the distance, no doubt going to update James.  
  
Emma vaguely knew where she was going but the forest looked different at night. She saw a light and followed it 'I hope no one else has a fire in the forest tonight' she thought holding her lit wand high above her head as she hopped over tree roots and rocks.

She was well off the path when she drew near. She saw Regina lying on a low tree trunk in front of a dying fire. On approach Emma grew the fire and went over to Regina. Her face was cold but she was still breathing.  
  
Emma checked the ground by the fire. It was dry and had warmed slightly. She lifted Regina from where she was and brought her closer to the fire. She leant her against the tree limb. Emma opened her bag. She pulled out her hat and scarf and put them on Regina who hardly stirred.  
  
She produced a tin cup and filled it with water, which she floated above the fire. She took Regina's cloak, wet from the snow and suspended it above them, making a roof over the tree limb in the hope it would trap some heat in. She pulled her cloak around them both and held Regina. She was so cold Emma could hardly stand to touch her. She rubbed her arms and hoped that the heat she generated from running would help.   
  
When the cup of water was hot she brought it over. Holding it with her gloves she tested it. It was drinkable. She tried to rouse Regina but did not get much response.

"Come on, you need to drink this" she said. She poured a tiny bit into her mouth and she seemed to swallow it. She tried some more. She left the cup and pulled out a small bottle of Ogden’s Old Firewhisky.  
  
"Sorry" she said "but this should do it" she tipped Regina's chin up and pressed the open bottle to her lips. She poured only a little and waited.  
  
"Come on, Regina" she said watching her face for any sign.

Regina coughed and jolted awake with a gasp.  
  
"Hey, hey, you're ok" Emma said. Regina started shivering violently.  
  
"Have some more of this, I know it's gross but it will help." Emma said, giving Regina more firewhisky. She still shook but at least she had something in her to warm her up. She put her head on Emma's shoulder. Emma was cooling down quickly, Regina was so cold against her.  
  
Emma drank the hot water she had made and took the chocolate out of her bag. She ate a square and immediately felt revived. She rubbed Regina's arms as she held her and stoked their fire.   
  
After a while Emma noticed a noise among the trees. She didn't think Hogsmeade was a particularly dangerous place but people are people, and they could be dangerous, she knew. She slowly drew her wand, then from the darkness stepped a stag.

"Oh my god" Emma whispered to herself, having never seen a deer in real life before. The deer stared at her for a moment and then looked at Regina. Emma didn't move. She wasn't scared, just cautious. Then the deer sniffed the ground and walked away slowly.  
  
"Wow" Emma said. Regina stirred. Emma felt her face.  
  
"Hey, you're warming up" she said. Regina sat up slowly and pulled the cloak around her as it slipped down her shoulder.  
  
"How did you find me?" She asked, taking the cup of newly warm water that Emma offered.  
  
"Sirius" Emma replied. "Have some of this" Regina took a piece of chocolate. It did make her feel better. She stretched her legs out.  
  
"Ow they're stiff" she said as they creaked into full length.  
  
"I'm not surprised" Emma said. She didn't know how long Regina had been out here, but she felt like the cold night would never end. Morning would mean they could head back to the castle. Maybe send an owl from the Hogsmeade post office if Regina couldn't walk the whole way. Maybe Lily and James would have stuck around.

Regina wiggled her toes in her boots, which had stayed dry despite the snow. The warmth felt strange, like pins and needles but it was good, she knew. She rubbed her hands together.  
  
"Gloves?" Emma asked, holding up her gloved hands.  
  
"No" Regina smiled. "You're wearing them. Would you give me your boots if I asked you?"  
  
"Yes" Emma said, her tone refuting that that would be an odd thing to do. "I'd give you anything, you know that" she said. They looked at each other in the flickering firelight.  
  
"Except my Walkman, obviously" she added. Regina laughed.  
  
"I wish you had it" she said  
  
"Ta dah" Emma said, pulling it from her bag.  
  
"Wow!" Regina said  
  
"I know right? It's like magic" Emma replied, though she knew Regina wouldn't really get the joke since she didn't know a world without magic.

Regina moved back to Emma's side as she configured the cassette player. She pressed play. The music from the headphones seemed loud in the quiet forest. Regina drew her breath in listening to it. Emma located the headphones and passed one ear to Regina. They were metal with the connecting wires visible. The ears didn't have foam covers so the shiny metal circles full of holes for the sound were visible and (Emma thought) actually made it look quite cool. Regina put hers to her ear and Emma did the same.

Son of a Preacher Man. Emma smiled.  
  
"Music is the thing I miss most from the muggle world." She said "I would happily leave it all behind, everything but this. It's its own kind of magic" Emma said. Her eyes were closed, she leant her head against the log. She smiled and sang quietly along to the song.   
  
Regina sat back on her feet and watched her. She looked like pure happiness, like peace itself. She could never get tired of seeing Emma like this. She felt free, like the rest of the world didn’t matter or even exist. She felt happy for the first time since she could remember.

The fire crackled and Regina felt like her heart was beating again for the first time since the curse. She wanted this to last forever. She touched the back of Emma’s hand that was resting on her thigh. She drew her fingers up Emma’s arm. Goosebumps appeared on her arm and Emma opened her eyes.  
  
"W-what are you doing?" Emma said putting her headphones down. Regina thought Emma must be able to hear her heart banging through her chest.  
  
"You could say…I'm coming to get you" Regina said. She leant into Emma’s space painfully slowly. Emma shivered with anticipation. Regina nudged Emma's nose with hers. Emma tipped her chin up, reaching but only slightly. Regina pressed her lips to Emma's.

A shock went through Regina. She felt Emma kiss her back and butterflies flurried in her stomach. She pulled back but Emma followed, reluctant to let it end. She felt Emma's fingers run through her hair, bring her back to her.   
  
Their kisses were soft and warm. Emma made a little noise and another thrill went through Regina. She did pull back this time. She didn't know what for. For air. To see Emma's face again. To make sure she wasn't making a huge mistake.

She sat back on her heels. Emma opened her eyes slowly and smiled.  
  
"Wow, prefect" she said. Regina's apprehension disappeared. Emma was the same. She was the same. She hadn't somehow turned into a throwaway and Emma hadn't turned into anything scary.  
  
"How is someone with so little practice so good at that?" She asked. She sat up and moved towards Regina who blushed, though you can't see that by firelight.  
  
"Have you ever been kissed here?" Emma asked kissing her ear.  
  
"No" Regina smiled  
  
"Here?" Emma kissed her neck  
  
"No" Regina replied  
  
"Here?" Emma kissed her collar bone.  
  
"No" Regina gasped, no longer smiling, completely overwhelmed by the feel of Emma's lips and tongue and teeth grazing her skin.

Emma met the gasp with a kiss on the lips. Their tongues met. Regina felt herself on the edge of control. Her life balanced on a knife-edge. She could choose herself, choose happiness, choose this, here, now. 

She let go and gave in to everything.


	13. Chapter 13

Emma woke to the pinch of cold on her nose. The ground was frosty, though their fire and improvised tent had protected them from it somewhat.  
  
She wriggled free of the tangle of cloak and limbs and straightened her clothes so she was covered from the cold. She grew the fire again and filled their cup to heat some water.

She sat close to the fire for a while, rubbing her arms and legs. She pulled her notebook from her bag. It fell open where she had wedged a pencil into it. She absent-mindedly scratched out a rough drawing of the fire embers, then the clearing, then a raven in flight, then she looked at Regina.   
  
Her pencil moved before she realised it. Her dark shape under their canopy. She turned the page. Her hand clasped around the folds of Emma’s cloak. She turned the page. The vision of Regina and the record player, the wrinkle in her brow as she figure out how it worked and placed the needle herself filled Emma’s mind, then the page.

Her hands ached from the cold. She put the pad down.

She checked on Regina. Cold, but no colder than Emma felt herself. While the water heated she packed away her things. Her cassette player was carefully wrapped and put away, she collected chocolate bar wrappers, she looked for Regina's bag and found it over by the lookout point.  
  
"Are you awake?" Emma asked the pile of clothing vaguely shaped like Regina.  
  
"No" came the muffled response.  
  
"I made breakfast" Emma said. It took a minute for Regina to untangle herself and sit up. She looked at the cup of hot water sitting next to a big red apple and half a chocolate bar. Emma chomped happily on her green apple.  
  
"Oh, you shouldn't have" Regina said reaching for the cup.  
  
"Oh it’s just something I whipped up" Emma replied.

The hot drink warmed Regina. She felt it all the way down to her stomach.  
  
"Do you have a hat in your bag?" Emma asked.  
  
"Am I not wearing it?" Regina asked, touching the one on her head.  
  
"You're wearing a Hufflepuff hat right now" Emma replied "It's a good look, but not quite you"  
  
Regina opened her bag. She pulled out her hat, scarf and gloves. And gave Emma back hers. She pulled the cloak around her, then looked at it.  
  
"This isn't mine either" Regina said. She looked up and saw her cloak acting as the roof to their lean-to.  
  
"What a good idea" she said, surprised  
  
"Yeah you don't have the monopoly on good ideas, prefect" Emma replied, putting her hat on.  
  
"Sorry" Regina said with a smile. She stood and took her cloak. It was warm and dry and she pulled it around her. She sat on the tree limb.  
  
"What now?" She said before long. Emma didn't reply. She watched snow sprinkle gently through fir and pine branches.

"Can we stay here forever?" Regina asked  
  
"Well now we're out of apples and chocolate, so I'm not sure." Emma replied.  
  
  
They sat quietly watching the fire. Regina wanted to say something about last night, but what? Emma sat up. A jolt of fear went through Regina had she said that out loud? Had Emma heard what she thought, like Cora did sometimes?  
  
"Did you hear that?" Emma asked. Regina didn't respond. Emma stood and listened.  
  
"Regina, can you send up sparks?" Emma asked. Regina lifted her wand and sent blue sparks into the air.  
  
"Emma!" They both heard this time.  
  
"Over here!" Emma shouted back. She turned to Regina and she sent the sparks again.

It was not long before Lily Evans stepped into the clearing of the lookout point. Regina smiled though her heart sank. It was over, they were going back to the castle.  
  
"Hey" Lily said and a huge smile broke across her face. "You're both ok" she ran over and hugged Emma.  
  
"Hi" she said, walking over to Regina "how are you feeling?"  
  
"I'm ok, thank you" Regina said with a small smile.  
  
"Good!" Lily replied and touched her arm.  
  
James came noisily into the clearing behind her.  
  
"You're alive!" He said "that's a turn up for the books, hey Lily?" She ignored his exaggerations.  
  
"There a carriage on the road about half a mile that way" she pointed "can you walk that far?" She asked them both. Emma nodded and turned to Regina.  
  
"I think there's only one way to find out." She replied. Emma killed the fire and picked up her bag. Regina stood slowly and James went to offer his arm. His face was sincere and filled with genuine concern even though he hardly knew her. Despite being one of three class clowns and slightly bombastic at times she thought he actually might be quite caring. After all, Lily Evans saw something in him. She took his arm and stood up.  
  
"I've got your bag" he said, picking up some extra things that we're lying about. Emma and Lily walked ahead and James walked slowly with Regina. He didn't make small talk. He didn't joke. The arm he offered was strong an reassuring.  
  
"You know, you seem to have changed this year" Regina said eventually  
  
"How do you mean?" He asked  
  
"Well, you're the Head Boy so you must have changed something" she said with the flicker of a smile. He laughed  
  
"I'm going to tell you this in confidence" he said quietly.  
  
"I realised that after this year, I might never see Lily again. And I had never given her a reason to want to see me again. I..." He paused in thought. Regina watched his face. He ruffled his unruly hair which made it messier.  
  
"I had to grow up. To make myself a man she would be proud to be with. I'm still working on it and she knows that. She gave me a chance, and I won't waste it." He watched her walking and laughing with Emma. Her long red hair swished as she walked. Regina looked at Emma. Her hair had been straight when Regina left the Three Broomsticks. Now it had turned wavy, it curled at the ends and they seemed to bounce as she walked.  
  
"She's everything" James said, after turning to Regina and seeing her smiling and looking at Emma.  
  
"Thank you for sharing that with me" she said. He nodded.  
  
  
"And then this stag came out of nowhere. I mean, I think it was a stag, it was a boy-deer, is that a stag?" Emma asked. Lily laughed.  
  
"I think so, yes" she replied  
  
"That was cool" Emma said  
  
"This was when Regina was asleep?" Lily asked  
  
"Yeah asleep or, just passed out, I don't know" she said, turning serious.  
  
"Do you think she was..." Lily couldn’t quite finish her sentence "do you think she wanted to be found?" She tried. Emma didn't respond right away. She sighed and looked at the ground as she walked.  
  
"I know that feeling when you just want to stop existing. Nothing violent or dramatic you just want everything to stop. I don't know what she wanted, but I could understand wanting not to exist." Emma said. Lily touched Emma's arm in reply.  
  
"We're not far now" Lily said, she turned to see Regina holding James's arm while navigating tree roots. She looked pale, but pretty good considering.  
  
  
"My dear girl what were you thinking? Getting lost out there. We were to so worried!" Slughorn attacked as soon as the four of them entered the castle. "Whyever didn't you send your patronus with a message?" He demanded of Regina.  
  
"Horace" Flitwick interrupted before Regina had to reply. "Please let me attend my own students" he said firmly.  
  
"Yes, of course. James, Lily...erm" Emma smiled and raised her eyebrows  
  
"Emma Swan, Professor"  
  
"That's right, that's right." He said leaving.  
  
"Rude" James said under his breath. Lily nudge him with her elbow.

"Regina" Flitwick said "the hospital wing may be a good first port of call for you. I will be up when you have had a chance to see Madam Pomfrey" he said

Emma took Regina's bag from James.  
  
"Did you hear I saw a stag?" Emma said as they walked away. Regina stopped listening. A stag. The dog. Sirius found her. Sirius' patronus was a dog. She turned so quickly to look at Lily, she knew exactly what it was. Lily gave her a pleading look as Flitwick and McGonagall talked with her and James. She looked at James and then Lily. Lily gave back an almost undetectable smile. Regina smiled back and carried on walking with Emma.  
  
"I'm sorry I wasn't listening. A stag?" Regina said as they climbed the steps together.  
  
  
A few days passed in the school. James and Lily seemed to satisfy the teachers’ questions.  
  
Regina did not have to stay in the hospital wing but was prescribed hot food, a hot bath and bed. Emma walked her to her common room and gave her bag back. There were people coming and going. Many stopped to say hello to Regina, it didn’t seem to be common knowledge that they had spent the night in the forest.

They stood close together.  
  
“We should talk” Emma said looking over her shoulder at the students passing by “at some point”. Regina wanted to reach out, take her hand, kiss her but she didn’t. Regina agreed. Emma watched her for a moment longer. She kissed her briefly on the cheek. Regina turned into it, and watched her descend the spiral staircase. Alone again.

She slept for a solid day and would have slept longer if Monday hadn't arrived and brought classes with it.

She had catching up to do so she worked hard in classes. She didn't see Emma in the hall, though she looked for her. She found a notebook in her bag and opened it. A pencil held the pages open at a rough pencil drawing of someone dancing. Regina flicked back a page. She recognised herself sleeping in the forest, then a bird, the fire. She closed the book quickly realising it was Emma’s sketch book. Her hear beat quickly. She fought with herself to intrude on Emma’s privacy or not. She put the book back in her bag to return when she saw Emma. She went back to looking for her Potions textbook but couldn’t help smiling that Emma had drawn her.  
  
  
When the following Saturday came Hufflepuff beat Gryffindor in quidditch due partly to their talent and vigour but mostly because Emma, through a well aimed bludger, concussed the opposing seeker in the first 10 minutes.

It was the first time Regina had seen Emma for days. Though Ravenclaw usually cheered for Gryffindor, Regina cheered for Emma but she didn’t see.  
  
  
"Watch your heads, lads" Killian said. As Emma left the hall on Monday morning. She smiled.  
  
"Hey, you wanna talk?" She asked him.  
  
"Sure" he replied. He followed her out.  
  
"You know there's these rumours about me and...various people" Emma said. Killian raised an eyebrow  
  
"Well, no one really thinks you're sleeping with Mills, or that she'll ever sleep with anyone to be honest. Vanity, well, people love a scandal but no one really believes that either- because it's ridiculous" he said  
  
"Wow, ok" Emma replied "Has there been a piece about me in the prophet?" She asked  
  
"Only the Hogwarts rumour mill, love. You asked" he said  
  
"Yes I did" she replied "is there a rumour about you and me?" She asked  
  
"Why? Wanna start one?" He asked and put his arm round her shoulders as they walked  
  
"Hey" she said, moving out of his grip.  
  
"Boring" he replied, letting his arm flop to his side and walking on.  
  
"Killian" Emma said  
  
"Swan" he replied turning to her in real annoyance masquerading in mock annoyance.  
  
"I'm sorry I've kept you waiting" she said. His face returned to normal.  
  
"Oh" he said, straightening himself.  
  
"I'm not going to go out with you" she said. "It wouldn't be fair-" she began  
  
"So it's true then" he cut her off. "You saved her life in the forest and now she's all gooey for you"  
  
"Hey" Emma said in a warning tone.  
  
"Oh what? Do you have to protect her honour now? You can't see me because you're seeing her but you're flattered? Don't actually tell me you're flattered, I might kill myself" he said, walking away.  
  
"Nice" Emma said  
  
"Or maybe that's what you're into, maybe I should try it and see if you come running, saviour" he said  
  
"Wow, I do not regret my decision at all" Emma said  
  
"Enjoy scarface" he threw over his shoulder  
  
"Enjoy your hand" Emma replied.

She stood on the steps for a while. She was too disappointed by Killian to go after him, too angry and distracted to do anything else, until a sharp voice cracked her reverie like an egg on the edge of a bowl.  
  
"Horace, kindly take me to Dumbledores office"  
  
Emma flattened herself against the wall and looked cautiously into the hall. It was  
  
"Of-of course, my pleasure, please" she heard Slughorn stutter. 

She turned and leapt up the stairs, two at a time, three at a time. She ran down the corridor taking corners as if nothing would be coming the other way. She found the spiral staircase to Ravenclaw tower and ran as quick as she could without getting dizzy. She approached the eagle.  
  
"A tree falls in the forest, does it make sound?"  
  
Emma's first thought was 'obviously, that's a ridiculous question' but she stopped herself.  
  
"What would Regina say?" She asked herself aloud. She pictured Regina answering the last question. It was the answer to the riddle, just like this. She remembered her cold face when she found her, trying not to exist. Trying not to exist, by herself in the forest.  
  
"Can something exist if there is nothing to perceive it?" Emma said. 'Can questions be answers?' She wondered. The door swung open

"Holy crap, I actually did it" she said, stepping in slowly, stunned at her achievement.  
  
She looked around the room. It looked smaller with students in it. Some noticed her, most didn't. She looked for Regina but didn't see her. A young Ravenclaw nearby was watching her.  
  
"Hey kid" Emma said "do you know where I can find Regina Mills?" It hadn't even occurred to her until now that she might be in classes. The student pointed.

Regina sat at a table under a long window with Ravenclaws of all ages tutoring them in astronomy. She wore glasses Emma had never seen. She looked completely at home and herself. She was crushed to think of spoiling it with this.  
  
"Hey" Emma said from her side.  
  
"How did you get in here?" Regina asked in shock, taking off her glasses.  
  
"I pretended to be you, I need to talk to you" Emma replied  
  
"Can it wait?" She asked looking to her tutees.  
  
"Would I have broken into your common room if it could?" Emma asked incredulously.  
  
"No, sorry, of course not" she said to Emma. She turned to the group "we'll pick this up again later"  
  
She lead Emma to the dorm corridor.  
  
"I'm sorry I haven't come find you-" Regina started  
  
"It's not that" Emma interjected "your mother is in Dumbledore's office" she said. Regina stared back at her.

The words echoed round Regina's skull. She was here. She knew. She was going to take her out of school, from her friends, from Emma. Her mother accused her of many things. Laziness, arrogance, defiance, ignorance and she managed because she was none of those things. She never did anything, but this she had done. She had chosen Emma over everything and her mother's threats were about to be carried out.

"Regina!" Emma waved her hand in front of her face. She snapped back to reality enough to make her way to her dorm room. Emma followed.

She threw off her jacket and t-shirt, uncaring of Emma behind her, and swapped it for her uniform blouse, house tie and her cloak. She pinned her prefect badge on, put her glasses away, fixed her hair and turned to Emma.

"How do I look?" She asked  
  
"Like a Ravenclaw prefect" Emma replied, confused.  
  
"Good" Regina said. She went to the door and Emma followed. She paused and turned back.  
  
"I've missed you" Regina said. Emma gave her a smile of relief.  
  
"I've missed you too" Emma replied. Regina kissed her. It was an urgent answer to so many unspoken questions. Emma wrapped her arms around her. Emma lost herself and only came back when Regina gently pushed her back.  
  
"Stop" Regina said, kissing Emma briefly on the lips again though she didn't open her eyes. Regina kissed the tip of her nose and she laughed.  
  
"I have to go" she said. Emma opened her eyes and searched Regina's for a clue. She was sad. Emma thought her heart would break if she looked any longer. Regina opened the door and left the room.  
  
  
"You can't keep my daughter here after what you did to her" Cora announced striding down the corridor with professors Dumbledore and Flitwick.  
  
"I believe we have moved past the point of reason, Mrs Mills” he said following at a slower pace "pray tell me, where are you going?"  
  
"The Ravenclaw common room" she said  
  
"And how do you know where it is?" he asked  
  
"I haven't been a student in a long time Professor, but I remember some things!" She said

At that moment Regina walked down the steps from the tower and into the corridor.  
  
"Ah" Cora said, turning to gloat at Dumbledore "Regina. Collect your things. We're leaving. Take off that ridiculous tie."  
  
Regina's hand twitched as she forced it to ignore her mother’s last command.  
  
Students moving between classes appeared in small groups. Professors Sprout and McGonagall had paused their conversation close by as they happened upon the scene.  
  
"Regina! Don't make me tell you twice!" She shouted. For the first time she noticed Emma on the steps behind Regina and her face curdled. "You! Get away from my daughter! You almost killed her in those woods, I won't have her in the company of the likes of you"  
  
"You would have her marry someone who used the cruciatus curse on her though" Emma said. Regina’s heart ached knowing she was powerless to stop what was happening.  
  
"That was meant for you!" Cora spat. 

There was silence in the hall. The students had stopped moving around.  
  
Cora's wand went up and three spells we're spoken at once.  
  
"Protego"  
  
"Imperio"  
  
"Expelliarmus"  
  
Sparks crackled across Emma's shield.  
  
"How dare you!" Cora growled "how dare you disarm a pure blood of this race, you are nothing, you're filthy, you are-"  
  
"Not guilty" Professor Sprout said calmly. They turned to look at her, holding Cora's wand.  
  
"No visitor, parent or not, will raise a wand against one of my students." She said firmly. Emma smiled. Regina's face was painted porcelain.

"I will not stand for this" she snatched her wand back from Sprout’s outstretched hand.  
  
"Regina, forget your things, come now!" Cora turned from the scene.  
  
"No, mother" Regina said quietly, though everyone present heard her.  
  
"What did you say?" Cora asked, turning on her.  
  
"No, mother. I won't go" she said. Cora marched up to Regina and slapped her hard across the face with the back of her hand. Regina stood still, her head turned away from her mother. Hot tears of shame filled her eyes. Cora snatched her wrist and pulled her down the remaining stairs.  
  
Emma stood still, desperate to help but she didn't know how. 'Come on, Regina. Fight!' she wished.  
  
"No!" Regina said and pulled her arm from we mother's grip. "I am of age, you can't make me leave." she said finding her strength again.  
  
Regina braced herself. In the silent hall she watched Cora search for ways, any way to get her out of the school and back into her control. Pain shot through Regina's head and she fell to her knees on the stone flags.

Visions filled her mind. The words from the howler, the disapproving attacks on her every time she went home, her father's silence, the cruciatus curse, though this time Emma held the wand. She laughed as Regina relived the bone shattering pain. It stopped. Regina's breath was ragged; she was as white as a ghost and sweating. She held back the impulse to retch.

It had only lasted seconds in the hall but it felt like hours to Regina. The teachers stood by, not knowing what had happened or what to do. They looked to Dumbledore who did nothing.

Emma leapt down the steps, her wand was up in defence but Cora did not attack. She stood in front of Regina.

"That's enough." Emma shouted "She said no. She will never raise her wand to you and you know it. Get out before I do it for her"

Cora's cackle filled the hall.  
  
"My dear, I do see why she likes you. A big, brave, stupid bodyguard. Are you sure you're not a Gryffindor?" Emma didn't reply.  
  
"She is not yours, she is mine. I wouldn't expect you to understand anything about family" Cora spat out the last word

Regina stopped thinking about not being sick and sorting reality from visions. A thought like an arrow shot through her mind. Emma is always here for Christmas, no family pictures, no stories, no anything. 'She's alone too' she thought. She awoke to reality again and got shakily to her feet.

"I'm not yours, mother, I am my own" she said. She put her shaking hand on Emma’s shoulder for support. "And I am staying. You should leave" 

"I will be happy to escort you out myself" Dumbledore said from Cora's side.  
  
"You will regret this, my girl" she said with venom. "This is not the end" she pointed in Dumbledore's face, turned on her heel and fled the castle.

When she could no longer see or hear her mother, Regina turned to Emma and flung her arms around her.

"Everyone back to your business" Dumbledore called to the students still gathered.  
  
"Mafalda, Thomas, Yleni, you all have Herbology with me now" Professor Sprout called a stream of student from the corridor.  
  
"Miss Lucas, do you intend to stay there all day?" McGonagall asked Ruby.  
  
"Yes Professor!" She announced gleefully watching Emma and Regina. "Transfiguration. Now" McGonagall said. Ruby hopped up the steps looking back to see Emma and Regina in their own world.

When the corridor was empty they broke apart. Colour had returned to Regina's face.

“It’s over” Emma said.  
  
“For now” Regina said seriously, then she met Emma’s gaze and smiled brightly.


	14. Epilogue

Emma and Regina walked in the grounds. Regina wanted some air to clear her head of what had just happened.  
  
“It always surprises me how long the snow lasts here” Emma said. The ground was frozen and they crunched over the inch or so of snow that had fallen. Regina slipped her hand into Emma’s as they walked. She breathed deeply and felt the ache in her chest subside.

Emma watched her and smiled.  
  
“Do you want to talk about stuff?” Emma asked  
  
“I don’t think so” Regina said “Not now”  
  
They reached the top of the path where there was a good view of the grounds, the forest and Hagrid’s hut. Smoke rose lazily from the chimney. They stopped to watch it.  
  
“Oh I have something of yours” Regina said. She pulled the notebook out of her bag and gave it to Emma.  
  
“I was looking for this” she said “I thought I left it in the forest”  
  
“James must have put it in my bag” Regina said. Emma blushed. “I only saw one or two pages, I closed it as soon as I realised…“ Regina rushed to say  
  
“It’s ok” Emma said. “It’s mostly rubbish” she said  
  
“What I saw wasn’t rubbish” Regina said, surprised. Emma shrugged and looked around them.  
  
“I’d like to see some of your pictures sometime” Regina said. She fidgeted with a button on her gloves. Emma watched her, unsure of what to do.  
  
“Well” she said “there’s one or two that are ok” she said, flipping the pages of the notebook. She stopped on one of Regina from when Emma cast the laughing jinx on her. She was on the floor, holding her ribs and laughing. Regina laughed when she saw it.  
  
“That was a dirty move, I won that duel” She said.  
  
“Yeah, it was fun though” Emma smiled, remembering Regina’s laugh filling the room and her heart. Regina reached up and kissed her on the cheek.  
  
“What was that for?” Emma asked  
  
“For making me laugh” Regina said “for reminding me to have fun. For…” she hesitated “saving me, in the forest.” Tears came to her eyes.  
  
“Regina” Emma said  
  
“No, you did” Regina said “In more ways than one. I would have-“ she stopped as a tear dropped and grazed her cheek  
  
“But you didn’t” Emma said, she brushed her cheek “you didn’t, you’re here, you’re ok, we’re…”  
  
Regina looked up.  
  
“We’re…together…right?” Emma said. Regina smiled and another tear dropped. Emma brushed that away too and kissed where it had been. She lifted Regina’s face gently to hers and kissed her. Emma’s stomach flipped as Regina kissed her back. Then it rumbled loudly and she broke away. Regina laughed. Emma blushed.  
  
“Come on” Regina took her hand and they walked back up to the castle.   
  
  
Lunch was in full swing when they entered the hall. Ruby leapt on Emma as soon as she entered. Emma hugged her back laughing.  
  
“Come and sit with us?” She asked them both, pointing back to Remus, Lily, Sirius and James who were just sitting down.  
  
“Yeah?” Emma asked Regina  
  
“Sure” she smiled

They walked over. As they passed the Slytherin table someone shouted at them.  
  
“Filthy mu-“ then their bench collapsed underneath them. Emma looked at Regina in shock.  
  
“That wasn’t me!” Regina said, holding up her wandless hand to prove it. Emma looked back at the table. Some students were dusting themselves off, cursing the bench. Emma Vanity sat opposite them, seemingly not amused by the disturbance until Emma caught her eye and she winked, returning her attention immediately to the other Slytherins.

Emma smiled widely.  
  
“What?” Regina asked  
  
“Nothing” Emma said “Hey Remus, how’s it going?”  
  
“Good” he said, putting his arm around Ruby who had just sat next to him.  
  
“So you’ll be here next year then?” Lily asked Regina, smiling.  
  
“It looks like it” Regina smiled tentatively  
  
“Good” James said “someone’s got to be Head Girl” Regina beamed at him and he winked at her. Emma kissed Regina on the cheek and smiled at Lily. She felt safer and happier than she had ever been. She would not be alone for Christmas next year.


End file.
